By the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
A Seneca type twin-engine plane
crashed Monday shortly after
takeoff. The pilot,
surnamed Salazar, and the co-pilot,
surnamed Castro, declared an
emergency saying that the plane was
losing altitude rapidly. They
requested immediate assistance.
Guillermo Hoppe, Director of Civil
Aviation, said the pilots of the
small plane reported that their
controls were not responding shortly
before the crash.
The plane with TI-AOP plates had
taken off from Tobías Bolaños
airport in Pavas, San Jose at 9:10
a.m. bound for Quepos in Puntarenas.
Hoppe said that shortly after
takeoff, “the pilot tried to turn to
the north, however, the pilot
reported to the control tower that
he was having a major problem and
that they were falling."
The plane crashed in an open area on
the edge of the Alfredo González
Flores Bridge*, in the Ulloa
district of the province of Heredia.
More than 20 rescuers from the Red
Cross and 10 emergency vehicles
responded to the crash site. They
found the airmen pinned in the
twisted metal of the plane.
According to Guido Vasquez,
Operational Coordinator of the Red
Cross, "we worked with
approximately 20 people from the
Costa Rican Red Cross, as well as
the support of police officers,
firefighters, Civil Aviation
officials and private companies that
also collaborated in the emergency
and they were able to find the
people with life, both with
important injuries. The rescuers
gave first aid attention in the
area."
Conditions at the crash site made
the rescue work difficult. The area
was sloped with heavy vegetation.
Rescuers took the victims to the
hilltop where a helicopter from the
Air Surveillance Service provided
transportation to local hospitals.
Castro was taken to Hospital Mexico
and Salazar was transported to
Hospital del Trauma.
The Red Cross monitoring department
reported that both pilots are in
stable condition. "In the case of
Castro who is in Hospital Mexico, he
has a fractured leg and a wound at
his eyebrow. In the case of Salazar,
he has an exposed fracture in one of
his ankles, so he had surgery in the
Trauma Hospital. "
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Red Cross
courtesy photo
Shortly
after takeoff, “the
pilot tried to turn to
the north, however,
the pilot reported to
the control tower that
he was having a major
problem and that they
were falling.
This is
the second plane crash
that has been reported
in the last 8 days.
On Monday, February
25, the Ministry of
Security reported
finding a small plane
which apparently
crashed into trees in
an area known as Coto
47 in Osa, in the
Southern Zone*.
According to the
police report, "a
single-engine Cessna
210 Centurion plane
was found after it
apparently crashed
into trees after a
forced landing."
The plane was
discovered when a
police helicopter on
patrol in the area saw
the small plane. The
pilot changed his
course after he was
detected by the
police.
According to the
police report, "After
searching in the area
where the small plane
was seen, the
officials located it
in a property, but
there was no trace of
its passengers or any
cargo." The plane’s
flight plan had not
been registered
through any control
tower of any of the
Costa Rican small
local airports.
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Should the Ministry of
Security invest in
buying more helicopters
or other equipment for
patrolling and detecting
planes flying illegally?
We would like to know
your thoughts on this
story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
*Link to
reach the map.
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