SANSA Airlines (Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A.) is an airline based in San José, Costa Rica. It operates scheduled passenger services as part of the TACA Airlines regional airline system, and has a subsidiary of Avianca Costa Rica. Its hub is Juan Santamaría International Airport.
The airline was established in 1978 as a Domestic Airline of LACSA.
The destinations of Sansa Airlines are:
Bahía Drake
Barra de Tortuguero
Golfito
La Fortuna/Arenal
Liberia
Palmar Sur
Puerto Jiménez
Puerto Limón
Quepos/Manuel Antonio
San Isidro de El General
San José (hub)
Playa Tamarindo
Playa Tambor
San Isidro del General
Costa Esmeralda, Nicaragua
Samara-Carrillo Airport
Punta Islita Airport
Coto 47 Airport
Nosara
Barra Del Colorado
As of August 2007 the SANSA fleet includes:
6 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX
Douglas DC-3
CASA C-212 Aviocar
ATR 42-300
Accidents and incidents
On April 19, 1984, A DC3 (TI-SAA) charter flight coming from San Andres (Colombia) crash on "Cerro Santa Rosa" (northwest face of the Irazu Volcano), killing all on board.
On January 16, 1990, SANSA Flight 32 crashed into the Cerro Cedral, a mountain in Costa Rica, after takeoff from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José. All 20 passengers and 3 crew on board died in the crash.
On August 26, 2000, SANSA Flight 1644 crashed into the Arenal Volcano, an active volcano in Costa Rica. The Cessna Caravan took off from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José at 11:38, for a flight to Tamarindo (TNO). An intermediate stop at La Fortuna was made at 11:55 to drop off a Japanese tourist. The flight left La Fortuna again at 12:05 for a 35-minute flight to Tamarindo. The aircraft collided with the active 5380 feet (1650 m) high Arenal volcano, at around 656 feet (200 m) below the crater. All 8 passengers and 2 crew on board died in the crash.
On November 28, 2001, SANSA Flight 1625 crashed into the Cerro Chontal, a mountain in Costa Rica. The aircraft crashed approx. four minutes before it was expected to land into a wooded hillside of the Cerro Chontal. The aircraft appeared to be off the usual approach track for Quepos. Both crew members and 1 passenger died; 5 passengers survived the crash and were rescued the next day.
