'Loving, Close' New York Family of 5 Dies in Costa Rica Plane Crash That Killed All 12 on Board
A Scarsdale, New York, family of five on vacation in Costa Rica died Sunday after the single-engine plane they were traveling in crashed into a mountain, killing all 12 people on board, according to The New York Times and other outlets.
Bruce and Irene Steinberg and their three sons — William, Zachary and Matthew — were headed toward the country’s capital of San José to celebrate New Year’s when authorities in Guanacaste, a popular tourist region, received reports of smoke and flames rising from a wooded area near Punta Islita Airport.
Emergency responders soon discovered charred pieces of the Cessna plane, and the burned remains of those on board, the Times reported.
“They were a very loving, close family,” Lyn Kaller, Irene’s longtime friend, told The Journal News. “They were devoted to their children. Any picture you see of them it was full of smiles.”
Kaller also spoke to the Times, and told both publications that the parents were dedicated to showing their three boys the world, and traveled to Asia last year. The latest trip was timed to take place during school break for all three children: William was a college student at the University of Pennsylvania, Zachary attended Johns Hopkins, and Matthew was an eighth grader at a private school.
“Irene and Bruce felt very strongly about providing that kind of culture and enrichment for their children,” Kaller told the Times.
Five other Americans also died in the crash, along with two Costa Rican pilots. The names of the other victims have not yet been released.
Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera released a statement about the crash on Facebook late Sunday, writing “I am in solidarity, on behalf of the people and government of Costa Rica, with the families of those who died in today’s tragic air crash. To them, who lost their loved ones, peace and resignation in this hour of deep pain.”
Funeral plans for the Steinberg family are currently underway, per the News.
“This was a trip they were really looking forward to,” Kaller told the publication. “It’s just a tragedy.”
