Two plane crash victims survived because of the skill of the pilot, who diverted the crash to a relatively safe space. The pilot was able to maneuver to a street and avoid hitting nearby houses, businesses, a school, and many power lines. The pilot followed all protocols for this type of situation and prevented the loss of life.
The two occupants were on a trip from the USA to Argentina. They left Costa Rica for their next stop, Panama. The control tower indicated that the plane had problems maintaining itself in the air. Further difficulties arose and the pilot made communication with the control tower.
The plane suffered a malfunction. It got just two kilometers from the Tobías Bolaños airport before crashing at 7:27 am, 200 meters east of the supermarket Fresh Market, in Pavas.
The pilots were helped by neighbors and firefighters. They were taken to the Hospital de Trauma, in La Uruca, and were discharged in stable condition at 4 pm after undergoing exams.
The Bilingual School in La Sabana, 50 meters from where the plane fell, suspended classes after the accident. The airport was closed for three hours, following protocol. The air traffic controllers were relieved to carry out interviews for the investigation and deal with the emotional toll of seeing something like this on the job.
