Turbulence Caused Plane Crash
According to Civil Aviation sources, a descending turbulence sent a single-engine plane diving out of control and causing the death of five of its six occupants.

The passengers were parachutists and three of them were able to jump when alerted by the pilot, but only William Slattery, from the United States, survived.

Rescue units recovered the bodies of the Costa Rican pilot Jorge Melendez, Canadian Milt Burton, U.S. James Simplicio, Mexican-American Emanuel Sanchez, and Costa Rican Jean Roman.

The small plane crashed off the Pacific coast near Esterillos, south of Jacó beach.

The search for the survivors was the biggest search and rescue operation in the last couple of years, when more than 200 persons were involved from the Red Cross, Fuerza Publica, Coastguard and the Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (national commission on emergencies).

Two helicopters and four small planes are also were used for the search and rescue efforts.

Aviation officials say the pilot of the small planes was experienced and ruling out mechanical failure, weather conditions is what investigators focused on.