Eight Live the Christmas Miracle Surviving Small Plane Crash in Tamarindo
Although there is still a week to go to Christmas, eight people got their gift early - the gift of life - when their small airplane crashed in Refundores de Tamarindo, Santa Cruz de Guanacaste, living a real miracle.

The Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter operate by Natura Air was en-route from San José to Tamarindo and onto Liberia, when a wind burst lifted the aircraft some 200 feet and the pilot could not regain control, crashing into a tree.

María del Rosario Vargas, the pilot is credited with saving the lives of her co-pilot, Gustavo Carrera (son of the Nicaragaun Ambassador to Costa Rica) and passengers; Peter Noble, Luis Gerardo Gámez, Audy Roney Smith, José Lluguno, Jacques Bititoune and Floruy Davtrien.

Weather conditions were normal and the flight was a routine flight that Nature Air operates daily.

The aircraft was at an altitude of 500 feet when it experienced the wind shift and the pilot could not regain control. The eight lived the Christmas miracle, all surviving the crash.

The survivors were first taken to the emergency clinic in Santa Cruz. Vargas and Bititoune were then airlifted to San José's Cima Hospital, a private hospital in Escazú, while the rest were transferred to Hospital de la Anexión de Nicoya, were they were kept overnight for obeservation.

Renier Gamboa, director of the Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación Civil unit said that the aircraft loss of power seems to have been the cause of the crash. A complete investigation will fortcoming soon.

This is accident number four for this year. Fourteen people lost their lives earlier this year in the first three accidents.



Illustration coutesy of Diario Extra