Santiago, Dominican Republic—Two people died Wednesday when a light aircraft crashed into a farm on the outskirts of Santiago. The plane went down shortly after takeoff from a nearby regional airstrip. Farm workers witnessed the aircraft lose altitude before striking a field and erupting into flames.

Emergency crews arrived at the site within minutes but found the aircraft destroyed. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. The impact caused significant damage to the crops, but no injuries were reported among those working on the ground.

The civil aviation authority has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Investigators are currently recovering the engine components and remnants of the fuselage for technical analysis. Preliminary reports indicate that the weather conditions were clear at the time of the flight.

Witnesses stated that the engine sounded irregular moments before the pilot attempted to turn back toward the airstrip. The wreckage will remain at the farm while forensic teams document the scene. The identity of the pilot and the passenger will be released once their families have been notified.

Local police have cordoned off the farm to prevent unauthorized access by curious bystanders. The site is being treated as a restricted area while officials from the aviation department finish their assessment. The owner of the farm is cooperating fully with the authorities during the inquiry.

This incident marks the second aviation-related fatality in this province this year. Transport officials are expected to issue a brief statement regarding the airworthiness of the aircraft involved. The investigation is slated to continue through the rest of the week.

The loss of the aircraft and the tragic outcome have been felt deeply by the local community. The aviation board remains focused on discovering if a mechanical malfunction or a pilot error initiated the emergency. No further flight operations are scheduled at the nearby strip until the investigation closes.