Incident
A twin-engine aircraft was performing a flight from Panama City, Panama, to San José, Costa Rica. On board were the pilot, the President of the RECOPE Group (Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo), and his wife. During the flight, the pilot informed air traffic control about an engine failure and was cleared to divert to Puerto Limón Airport for an emergency landing. While descending at night, the pilot realized he could not reach the airport and ditched the aircraft approximately 150 meters off the coast of Cahuita, about 30 kilometers southeast of Puerto Limón Airport.
Rescue
Both occupants sustained injuries and were rescued. The aircraft was lost.
Probable Cause
Official findings attributed the cause to engine failure for unknown reasons.