Clearwater Doctors, 2 Children Killed In Plane Crash: Report

Two Clearwater physicians and their two teenage children are among 12 dead in a New Year’s Eve sightseeing plane crash in Costa Rica, according to multiple reports. The family, who live in Belleair, were identified as Radiologist Mitchell Weiss, 52, and his wife, pediatrician Leslie Weiss, 50, and their children Hannah Weiss, 19, and Ari Moses Weiss, 16.

Both doctors have practicing privileges at Morton Plant Mease Hospital in Clearwater. The doctors were longtime members of the Clearwater medical community.

“It’s a tragedy and a devastating loss to their families, for our synagogue family and for the Pinellas County community,” Rabbi Jacob Luski of Congregation B’nai Israel in St. Petersburg told NBC News.

Morton Plant Hospital mourned their loss in a statement Monday.

“We were deeply grieved this morning to learn of the deaths of two beloved members of our team – Drs. Mitchell and Leslie Weiss,” Kris Hoce, president of Morton Plant Hospital, said in the statement. “Their lives and medical skills have touched so many in and around our community, and we are forever grateful to them. Our sympathies go out to their extended family and many friends who are also trying to process this tragic news.”

Their daughter was earning a joint degree at Columbia University and List College, the undergraduate school of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. List College Dean Shuly Rubin Schwartz told the Daily News of New York that Weiss had emerged as a student leader and ardent environmental activist.

“She was driving by a real sense of social justice,” Schwartz said.

Friends posted messages on Hannah Weiss’ Facebook page:

Ethan Feuer wrote: "If there’s anything I’ve learned from her, it’s to never settle for “just fine,” or “okay.” We need to push forward and always hold strong to our convictions. We need to push forward for the things we care about because we know that’s what she would be doing right now. We need to be the change she would’ve wished to see. That’s what we do with ourselves."

Joshua Bienstock wrote: "She was so amazing and an inspiration to me and everyone, I can’t believe that she’s gone and I don’t know what to do with myself."

Mitchell and Leslie Weiss had previously lived in Plymouth Meeting and Lafayette Hill in the Philadelphia area, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The couple left the Philadelphia area around 2005, relocating to Belleair, according to public records.

A Scarsdale family of five on vacation in Costa Rica were also killed when the plane crashed in the woods along the country’s Pacific coast Sunday afternoon, the Daily News reported.

Bruce Steinberg, 50; his 51-year-old wife, Irene; and their children — Matthew, William and Zachary — died when the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan went down, officials said.

Costa Rica officials said the charter flight took off just after noon from the resort town of Punta Islita on the Pacific coast and was headed for the capital of San Jose when it crashed in a wooded area. Video shows the Nature Air plane downed and engulfed in flames not far from Punta Islita in Guanacaste province.

In a statement, Backroads spokeswoman Liz Einbinder said their employee on the flight was Amanda Geissler, a native of Thorp, Wisconsin.

“Aboard the flight were nine Backroads guests, a Backroads Trip Leader and two flight crew members,” the statement said. “A second Nature Air flight carrying Backroads guests and another Trip Leader arrived safely in San Jose.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by this tragedy,” the company’s statement said.

At a news conference Sunday, Enio Cubillo, director of Costa Rica Civil Aviation, said the Nature Air charter crashed shortly after taking off from Punta Islita on a planned flight to the capital of San Jose.

Cubillo identified the pilot as Juan Manuel Retana and described him as very experienced. Former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said via Twitter that Retana was her cousin. The co-pilot was identified as Emma Ramos.

Cubillo said the plane flew from San Jose without passengers on Sunday morning, but was unable to land at Punta Islita because of high winds and diverted to Tambor. When the winds decreased, it landed at Punta Islita without problems, he said.

It took off from Punta Islita with the crew and 10 passengers at 12:10 p.m. and crashed about 10 minutes later. Winds of 20 knots or 23 mph were reported at the time, Cubillo said.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Caption: This photo released by Costa Rica's Public Safety Ministry shows people standing at the site of a plane crash near in Punta Islita, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. A government statement says there were 10 foreigners and two Costa Rican crew members aboard the plane belonging to Nature Air, which had taken off nearby. (Costa Rica's Public Safety Ministry via AP); other images via Facebook.