Authorities said pieces of the aircraft were found in the water Saturday after the flight went missing Friday.
All five passengers were believed to be German citizens, said Security Minister Jorge Torres. The plane’s pilot was Swiss.
Costa Rican authorities said pieces of the twin-engine turboprop aircraft were found in the water Saturday, after the flight went missing Friday. A flight plan filed for the small plane listed Rainer Schaller as a passenger. A man by the same name runs international chains of fitness and gym outlets, including Gold’s Gym and McFit. At least one other of those aboard the plane seemed to be a relative of Schaller, but the relation was not immediately confirmed by authorities.The plane was a nine-seat Italian-made Piaggio P180 Avanti, known for its distinctive profile.
Rainer Schaller is listed as “Founder, Owner and CEO of the RSG Group,” a conglomerate of 21 fitness, lifestyle and fashion brands that operates in 48 countries and has 41,000 employees, either directly or through franchises.Schaller was in the news in 2010 for his role as organizer of the Berlin Love Parade techno festival. A crush at the event killed 21 people and injured more than 500.
Schaller fought back against the accusations of wrongdoing, noting that his security concept received official city approval.