Dramatic rescue of EZCorp pawn shop president after his Gulfstream jet skidded off the runway in Honduras and burst into flames injuring him and three other employees after flight from Texas

  • Joe Rotunda, 71, was on board the plane with three of his employees and two crew members on Tuesday
  • Was taken off the plane in a stretcher and is said to have suffered internal injuries and gone into surgery
  • A crew member also suffered extensive injuries - everyone else on board was hospitalized with minor bruises 
  • Other employees involved in the crash were John Blair Powell Jr, 50, Nicole Swies, 40, and Bob Kasenter, 71
  • The commercial jet split in half as it was landing on the runway and veered into a ditch at Toncontin airport  
  • Dramatic photos show the crashed plane covered in foam, used to extinguish flames from the wreckage

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The president of a Texas pawn shop empire had to be dramatically rescued from his private Gulfstream jet after it skidded off a dangerous runway in Honduras and burst into flames, splitting the aircraft in half.

Joe Rotunda, the chief operating officer of Austin's EZCorp, had to be removed from the plane in a stretcher after the Tuesday crash at Toncontin International Airport, which miraculously had no fatalities.

Rotunda, 71, was on board with three employees and two crew members. Everyone on board was hospitalized following the crash, according to the Honduran Civil Aviation Authority. 

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This is the dramatic moment EZCorp CEO Joe Rotunda, 71, was rescued from a horrific plane crash at Toncontin International Airport in Honduras after his private jet skidded off the runway
Rotunda had to be removed from the plane in a stretcher and neck brace after the crash

This is the dramatic moment EZCorp president Joe Rotunda, 71, was rescued from a horrific plane crash at Toncontin International Airport in Honduras after his private jet skidded off the runway

Officials can be seen here removing Rotunda from the plane on a stretcher. Rotunda was in surgery on Tuesday afternoon 

Officials can be seen here removing Rotunda from the plane on a stretcher. Rotunda was in surgery on Tuesday afternoon 

The private jet crashed off the end of the runway at Tegucigalpa's airport Tuesday, but the crew and passengers were rescued and reportedly out of danger

Rotunda was on board with three employees and two crew members. Everyone on board was hospitalized following the crash, according to the Honduran Civil Aviation Authority

A general view shows rescue workers next to the wreckage of a Gulfstream G200 aircraft that skidded off the runway during landing at Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on May 22

A general view shows rescue workers next to the wreckage of Rotunda's Gulfstream G200, which skidded off the runway during landing at Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Tuesday morning 

Rotunda's family said he suffered several internal injuries and that he had to have surgery
Bob Kasenter, 71, (pictured) was also on board. He is listed on LinkedIn as a former senior administrator at EZCorp

Rotunda (left) was on board with Bob Kasenter, 71, (right) who is listed on LinkedIn as a former senior administrator at EZCorp

John Blair Powell Jr, 50, was also on the flight. Powell is the company's chief operations administration officer
Nicole Swies, 40, was also on the flight. She is the company's vice president of financial planning and analysis

John Blair Powell Jr, 50, and Nicole Swies, 40, were also on the flight. Powell is the company's chief operations administration officer and Swies is vice president of financial planning and analysis

The other employees involved in the crash were John Blair Powell Jr, 50, Nicole Swies, 40, and 71-year-old Bob Kasenter, the Austin American-Statesman reports. 

Powell is the company's chief operations administration officer, Swies is vice president of financial planning and analysis, and Kasenter is a former senior administrator, according to their LinkedIn pages. 

The crew members have been identified as Alex Murta, a 27-year-old American, and Joahn Joseph Page Salcedo, a 29-year-old from Venezuela, KVUE reports. 

The plane left Austin around 9.31am on Tuesday and arrived at the Toncontin International Airport around 11.30am.

As the aircraft landed, it skidded off the runway and crashed into a ditch near the El Pedregal neighborhood. 

A white Gulfstream jet that appears broken in half near the center, lies engulfed in foam sprayed by firefighters, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Tuesday, May 22, 2018

A white Gulfstream jet that appears broken in half near the center, lies engulfed in foam sprayed by firefighters

Firefighters spray foam on the wreckage of a plane, after it went off the runway at Tocontin International airport and collapsed over a busy boulevard in Tegucigalpa, injuring at least six US passengers

Firefighters spray foam on the wreckage of a plane, after it went off the runway at Tocontin International airport and collapsed over a busy boulevard in Tegucigalpa

Rotunda and a crew member sustained the most extensive injuries from those on board, according to EZCorp spokesman Jeff Christensen. 

'The other three EZCorp employees have been released from the hospital with only minor bangs and bruises,' he told the Austin American-Statesman.

'We have high expectations for Joe's and the crew's full recovery, and we're anxious to get them back home when they are ready.' 

Rotunda's family said he suffered several internal injuries and that he had to have surgery on Tuesday. 

His son, who is also named Joe Rotunda, said he was 'floored' when he saw a picture of the plane split in two.

At least six US passengers who were flying from Texas, were injured in the accident. Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane registered to TVPX Aircraft Solutions Inc. in North Salt Lake, Utah

 Rotunda and a crew member sustained the most extensive injuries from those on board. The others reportedly only suffered minor bruises 

NinHonduras' emergency management agency posted photos showing a twin-engined white Gulfstream 200 jet that appeared broken in half near the centee people were injured in the white Gulfstream's accident

His son, Joe Rotunda, said he was 'floored' when he saw a picture of the plane split in two following the crash

'My heart sunk and I lost my breath, it was overwhelming,' he told KXAN

But the younger Rotunda said he is confident that his father will have a quick recovery. 

'I'll tell you, my dad is a tough old man and I'm sure as soon as he gets out of surgery he's going to be yelling and screaming at the doctors and they're going to do everything they can to get him stateside immediately,' he said. 

'I can't wait to hear his voice.'  

Local residents have called it a 'miracle' that the accident did not result in severe injuries or fatalities.   

Tegucigalpa's airport has long been notorious as one of the more difficult approaches in the hemisphere, as it is surrounded by mountain peaks and residential neighborhoods

Tegucigalpa's airport has long been notorious as one of the more difficult approaches in the hemisphere, as it is surrounded by mountain peaks and residential neighborhoods and has a short runway 

Another view of the Gulfstream G200 aircraft, after it skidded off the runway during landing at Toncontin International Airport in Honduras. Firefighters sprayed foam onto the crash and part of the plane appeared to lie across a street.

Another view of the Gulfstream G200 aircraft, after it skidded off the runway during landing at Toncontin International Airport in Honduras. Firefighters sprayed foam onto the crash and part of the plane appeared to lie across a street

Honduras' emergency management agency posted photos showing a twin-engine white Gulfstream 200 jet that appeared broken in half near the center. 

Firefighters sprayed foam onto the aircraft to extinguish flames and part of the plane appeared to lie across a street.

Video from the scene showed what appeared to be area residents pulling people out of the damaged fuselage while others sprayed the plane with handheld fire extinguishers. 

President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced on Twitter later on Tuesday that all of the wounded were in a stable condition.

Tegucigalpa's airport has long been notorious as one of the more difficult approaches in the hemisphere, with a short runway and surrounding mountaintops and residential neighborhoods.

A crane lifts the wreckage of a Gulfstream G200 aircraft that skidded off the runway during landing at Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

A crane lifts the wreckage of a Gulfstream G200 aircraft hours after the horrific crash. President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced on Twitter that all of the wounded were in a stable condition.

Workers are seen at the wreckage of a Gulfstream G200 aircraft that skidded off the runway in Tegucigalpa. In May 2008, a Taca Airlines plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a building, leaving five people dead.

Workers are seen at the wreckage of a Gulfstream G200 aircraft that skidded off the runway in Tegucigalpa. In May 2008, a Taca Airlines plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a building, leaving five people dead

The aircraft that went off the runway and collapsed over a busy boulevard while landing at Toncontin International airport in Tegucigalpa on May 22, 2018 is shown here being removed from the site of the crash

The aircraft that went off the runway and collapsed over a busy boulevard is shown here being removed from the crash site 

In 2011 all 14 people on board a plane were killed when their plane crashed into a mountain near the airport. In May 2008, a Taca Airlines plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a building, leaving five people dead.

The worst accident occurred in 1989 when 131 people were killed after a Boeing commercial plane crashed. 

It has been said that passengers now cross themselves and pray when a plane touches down at the airport.

The government is constructing a new international airport about 31 mile from the capital, near the Palmerola military air base. 

The plane appears to have crashed very close to local businesses in Honduras, after leaving the end of the runway at the international airport

The plane appears to have crashed very close to local businesses in Honduras after leaving the end of the runway

The government is constructing a new international airport about 31 mile from the capital, near the Palmerola military air base following the numerous accidents  

The government is constructing a new international airport about 31 mile from the capital, near the Palmerola military air base following the numerous accidents  

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