Seven passengers and two crew members were killed in the incident, a statement on Twitter said. Six were foreigners and one was Dominican, it also said, without specifying the nationalities of the other six passengers.
Among the victims was Puerto Rican music producer Jose A. Hernandez, better known as “Flow La Movie,” as well as his wife and their child, according to his publicist.
Hernandez was best known for his hit song ‘Te Bote’.
His death sparked condolences and commemorations from a number of Puerto Rican and other Latin American artists, including superstar J Balvin and famed pop singer Ricardo Montaner.
According to Flightradar 24, the plane was en route to Florida from La Isabela International Airport in the Dominican Republic when it made the emergency landing and crashed just 15 minutes after takeoff.
The Gulfstream GIVSP long-haul plane was en route to Miami, Helidosa said.
“We are deeply hurt and saddened by this accident. We ask that you gently join us in solidarity to support the bereaved families, who are going through this difficult time with us,” the company said in a statement.
The cause of the crash or the emergency landing is not yet known.
Helidosa said it will work with air traffic accident authorities and the Civil Aviation Council.
This is a story in development.
