Breaking: Small passenger plane crashes on Costa Rica’s Pico Blanco mountain after being diverted due to weather. Search and rescue teams struggle to reach site where six people were aboard Cessna aircraft.
A Cessna 206 aircraft carrying six people was found crashed today on Pico Blanco mountain, west of San José, Costa Rica. The plane, operated by AeroCaribe and bearing registration TI-GER, was located by a private search aircraft at approximately 1:43 PM.
The aircraft had departed from Barra del Tortuguero on the northern Caribbean coast and was initially bound for Tobías Bolaños Airport in Pavas. Due to poor weather conditions, it was diverted to Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela. Contact with the plane was lost around 12:30 PM while the control tower was providing landing instructions.
#Nacionales | 👉 Sobrevuelo confirma que avioneta que estaba extraviada cayó cerca de Pico Blanco, entre Escazú y Santa Ana. En la aeronave viajaban 6 personas: el piloto Mario Miranda y 5 pasajeros que aparentemente serían turistas.
Cruz Roja, Bomberos y demás autoridades de… pic.twitter.com/PhCkVDIjMk— CRHoy.com (@crhoycom) November 25, 2024
The crashed aircraft was found at an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet in what witnesses describe as dense terrain. According to search pilots, the plane appears largely intact with no signs of fire, though it narrowly missed clearing the mountaintop.
Search and rescue teams from the Red Cross and other emergency services are currently attempting to reach the crash site, which is described as being in a difficult-to-access area. The Red Cross has established a command center to coordinate rescue efforts.
The plane was carrying two pilots and four passengers at the time of the incident. Their condition is currently unknown.
