One French national was killed and another injured after the airplane they had rented crashed on Isla Cebaco, off the Pacific coast of Veraguas. The crash happened Monday morning after the plane departed from the Albrook Airport en route to Coiba Island.

The Cessna 206 was carrying 2 French passengers as well as a Panamanian pilot. The pilot, Pablo Espinosa Palomino was injured, as was one of the French passengers, Serge Antoine Joseph Perez. Officials have identified the French citizen who was killed at the crash scene as Healver Joan Lewis. Panamanian news organizations often misspell names of foreigners, so it is possible the names of those involved will change in the coming days.

The airplane belonged to Panama Aircraft Rental and Sales, Inc. The pilot last had contact with the doomed aircraft as it was approaching the coastline of Veraguas. The injured were taken to hospital in Santiago. One of the injured is said to be in the Intensive Care Unit.

The Accident Investigation Unit of the Civil Aeronautical Authority of Panama is investigating the cause of the crash.

This is the second fatal plane crash involving tourists in Panama in just over a year. In December 2007, a plane carrying an American father and his young daughter as well as the daughter’s friend crashed in the mountains of Chiriqui province killing the father, daughter and pilot. Miraculously, the 12-year old family friend was found alive on the side of the mountain, two days after the crash.

Photo Courtesy of La Prensa

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Filed under: News on February 17th, 2009