The plane that crashed in Costa Rica, killing at least 10 Americans, had barely left the ground, an eyewitness said.
Wolf, who was eating at a restaurant near the airport, said the plane was in the air for less than a minute.
Just 20 seconds after the plane crashed she heard an explosion. The plane “was broken into two,” she said.
Photos from later in the day showed the plane incinerated, with only the tail still intact.
No one survived when the single-engine Cessna smashed into a mountain while en route to San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, from the northwestern Guancaste region of the Central American country.
All of the 10 passengers on board were American, including the Steinbergs—a family of five who were living in Westchester, New York.
Bruce and Irene Steinberg, along with their sons Matthew, 13, William, 18, and Zachary, 19, were enjoying a vacation in the country.
Bruce was a graduate of Columbia University while his eldest son was attending the University of Pennsylvania. William was attending Scarsdale High School, according to his Facebook page. Irene was from Potomac, Maryland.
In a Facebook post, Tamara Steinberg Jacobson, wrote that the family was in shock over the abrupt loss.
“We are in utter shock and disbelief right now,” she said.
The State Department later confirmed all were U.S. citizens. The two Costa Rican pilots also died in the crash.
Head pilot Juan Manuel Retena was a cousin of former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.
Chinchilla said on Twitter that he would remain “in our hearts.”
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