A DHL cargo jet split in two after skidding off the runway during an emergency landing in Costa Rica.

The aircraft’s tail detached and a wing was broken after it touched down at Juan Santamaria International Airport, on the outskirts of capital San Jose, at 10am local time on Thursday.

The Boeing 757-200 had taken off bound for Guatemala City, Guatemala, but the pilot requested permission to turn back 35 miles into the flight after a failure in the hydraulic system was detected.

The pilot and a co-pilot, the only crew on board, were unharmed in the incident. One had a medical check as a precaution, DHL said.

Director of the Costa Rica Fire Department, Hector Chaves, said: “Units mobilised to remove the pilot and co-pilot.

“Then they applied foam to prevent a spill and now they are working on an earthen dike to avoid any fuel from reaching the drainage system.”

The airport was shut down following the incident, affecting around 8,500 passengers and 57 commercial and cargo flights.

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Some jets were diverted to Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, around 125 miles northwest of San Jose.

The airport reopened around 3.30pm local time, according to airport operator, Aeris.

An investigation has been launched to confirm the cause of the incident.

DHL and airport authorities are now working together to move the jet, although it is not thought to be affecting operations.

In a statement, the German logistics company, which is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL group, said: “DHL’s incident response team has been activated and an investigation will be conducted with the relevant authorities to determine what happened.”

The airport had been expected to remain closed until 6pm local time, which would have impacted three cargo flights and 32 commercial flights to and from the United States, Central America, Mexico, Canada and Europe.

Twenty one passengers were taken to hospital after a jet slid off a runway and into a river near Jacksonville in the US while attempting to land during a thunderstorm in 2019.

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