Two Costa Rican pilots and a Supreme Elections Tribunal official survived a harrowing incident on Monday when the Public Security Ministry helicopter in which they were traveling crashed east of Cartago.
The accident occurred at 1 p.m. in the indigenous region of Nimari-ñac in Chirripó, Turrialba, when the aircraft experienced a malfunction in its tail rotor upon takeoff, the ministry reported.
On board were pilot Francisco Allón Herrera, co-pilot Sebastián Gadea Castro and TSE official Adriana Vega Solís.
Emergency crews transported the three by helicopter to Hospital México Hospital in San José, where they were treated for minor injuries.
Solís was transporting 3,952 ballots from Sunday’s elections. The ballots were not damaged and will be taken to TSE facilities in San José by another helicopter, TSE President Luis Antonio Sobrado said.
