Country
Costa Rica
code

Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)

Crash of a Gippsland GA8 Airvan in Monteverde National Park: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 2006 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
GippsAero GA8 Airvan
Operator:
Registration:
TI-BAH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San José – Liberia
MSN:
GA8-04-069
YOM:
2004
Location:
Monteverde National Park
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed San José-Alajuela-Juan Santamaria Airport at 0500LT on a positioning flight to Liberia-Daniel Oduber Quiros Airport located in the Guanacaste cordillera. About 30 minutes into the flight, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the Monteverde National Park. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan near Quepos: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 2001 at 1148 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Operator:
Registration:
HP-1405APP
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San José – Quepos – Puerto Jiménez
MSN:
208B-0788
YOM:
1999
Flight number:
LRS1625
Location:
Quepos
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
5000
Copilot / Total flying hours:
800
Aircraft flight hours:
1955
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed San José Airport on a schedule flight to Puerto Jiménez with an intermediate stop in Quepos, carrying six passengers (3 Americans, 2 Germans and one Dutch) and two pilots. While descending in clouds to Quepos Airport, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed on the slope of a wooded mountain located about 13 km from Quepos Airport. Both pilots and one passenger were killed while five other passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces.
Probable cause:
Collision with terrain after the captain failed to ensure that the vertical, horizontal and lateral separation was sufficient to fly over the mountains while descending under VMC conditions. Also the crew failed to take appropriate corrective actions to prevent the aircraft to continue the descent until it impacted ground, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain. The following contributin factors were identified:
- Momentary loss of situational awareness on the part of the flight crew,
- Inadequate supervision by the pilot-in-command,
- Non-compliance with standard operating procedures published by the operator,
- Use of flight procedures neither written down in manuals nor approved by the authority,
- Violation of safety rules,
- Non-application of visual flight rules by the flight crew,
- Shortcomings in the crew resources management,
- Adverse weather conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando off Puntarenas: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1970 at 1120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
YV-C-AMK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San José - San José
MSN:
254
YOM:
1945
Location:
Puntarenas
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew (four technicians and three pilots) departed San José-Juan Santamaría Airport in the morning on a post maintenance test flight. En route, in unknown circumstances, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the gulf of Nicoya off Puntarenas. The wreckage was found 1,2 km east of San Lucas Island. All seven occupants were killed.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander near Paso Canoas: 10 killed

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1968 at 0837 LT
Type of aircraft:
Britten-Norman Islander
Operator:
Registration:
TI-1063C
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San José – Paso Canoas
MSN:
14
YOM:
1968
Location:
Paso Canoas
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While approaching Paso Canoas Airstrip on a flight from San José, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in the mouth of the Rio Grande de Terraba, about 7 km west of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all 10 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46-A-55-CK Commando in Palma Sur

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
TI-1024C
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
268
YOM:
1945
Location:
Palma Sur
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Palma Sur Airport, the crew noted that a private Piper registered TI-281 just turned onto the runway. To avoid any collision, the crew veered off runway to the right when the airplane collided with trees and came to rest. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-33 near Puntarenas

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-33 (DC-2)
Operator:
Registration:
36-78
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1511
YOM:
1936
Location:
Puntarenas
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing after an engine caught fire in flight. The aircraft crash landed in a pasture located in the area of Puntarenas and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Martin B-10B in Parrita

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-10 (Model 139 & 166)
Operator:
Registration:
34-67
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
598
YOM:
1934
Location:
Parrita
Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)
Country:
Costa Rica
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered an engine failure in flight, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed in an open field located in Parrita and was destroyed. Crew fate unknown.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.
Subscribe to Puntarenas (Central and South Pacific)