Sun Costa | Rica TI-ZQW “Cartago”

2 leased Cessna 208s, TI-ZQW and TI-ZQX, were delivered a day after the airline’s 1 year anniversary on March 5th, 2013.

On April 15th, the airline’s first and only major incident to this day occurred. A large bird hit the propeller of the airline’s first Cessna 208, TI-ZQU, causing damage to the engine, cracks on the windshield, and damage to the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft. The engine had to be shut off, and the crew were able to safely glide into the airport. All 14 people onboard suffered no injuries, though the aircraft had to spend just over a month in the hangar to get the damages fixed.

In the same year, Nature Air moved its hub to the primary airport, Juan Santamaria Intl Airport, where Sun Air was based. This and the accident (especially compared to Nature Air’s clean record at the time) drove away ticket sales for the airline.