Two U.S. pilots were killed Sunday after their plane crashed in a fiery wreck while trying to make an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic, authorities said.
The deadly crash happened near the southern coastal town of La Romana, according to the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation. Officials identified the two people on board as a pilot and co-pilot from the United States. No passengers were on the aircraft at the time.
Authorities said the plane had taken off from Puerto Rico and stopped in the Dominican Republic to refuel before continuing on to Texas. Shortly after leaving the Dominican Republic, the pilots reported an emergency and attempted to land.
The aircraft went down before they could safely return.
Officials have not yet said what caused the crash, and an investigation is underway.
The tragedy took on an unexpected connection to Major League Baseball after former St. Louis Cardinals star Yadier Molina revealed on social media that the plane was headed to Texas to pick him up, along with family and friends.
“My condolences to the pilots and their family!” Molina wrote.
Molina said he and his group were ultimately headed to Puerto Rico.
The crash has left aviation officials searching for answers as investigators work to determine what went wrong in the moments after takeoff.
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Sad event…