Gold’s Gym owner and 5 others feared dead after plane crash off the coast of Costa Rica
Two people aboard a Boeing 767 are feared dead. The plane had been flying from Boston to San Jose, Costa Rica, when a midair explosion tore the jet in two.
Two passengers were pulled from the wreckage after the explosion on Monday night; an Argentinian man, a Costa Rican, and a citizen of Chile were injured.
The plane exploded shortly after takeoff from Boston’s Logan International Airport, with an explosion seen on Flight 40 on the tarmac at the airport in Costa Rica at 7:51 p.m. ET. The flight’s whereabouts Monday night are still unknown.
The injured were taken to hospitals in Costa Rica, where the men, both in their 20s, were being treated for injuries not deemed life-threatening. The two others who remain hospitalized are two Nicaraguan men, ages 21 and 32, who were both injured in the explosion. A Costa Rican woman and her 3-year-old daughter were also hurt in the crash, which occurred on an airport tarmac in the port city of Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
An Argentine, the third passenger on the flight, suffered a broken pelvis, according to local media reports. The two Argentines survived the explosion and have not been identified. They are also two of the missing passengers.
The plane’s probable cause was a midair explosion. Authorities did not release further details about the cause of the crash, which happened when the plane was about 1 hour and 10 minutes from the airport.
As the plane was being inspected shortly before takeoff, it appeared as though something had exploded on board, said a spokesman for the airport operator, which owns the airport and is operated by Aeroperlas.
The pilot reported the problem, according to the spokesman. Other passengers said they heard an explosion followed by a loud noise. The plane’s passengers remained outside on the tarmac for several minutes before it was taken by police, who escorted the plane and made sure it was in good condition.