Newlyweds Survive Costa Rica Plane Crash

Jan. 14 -- Colorado newlyweds Brandon and Brandy Wiley were looking for adventure when they quit their jobs and set out for Costa Rica with only their backpacks and a shared suitcase.

Two days later they were lying injured in a dark South American jungle amid the wreckage of a single-engine Cessna. The small plane that was taking them to their beach destination crashed 50 miles southwest of San Jose, the Costa Rican capital, on Nov. 28.

Brandon Wiley said the crash occurred quickly and in seconds everything went dark. "I knew I couldn't see," Brandon said. "I didn't know if it was just dark, or if my eyes weren't working. I heard Brandy's voice immediately."

Swallowed by Clouds

The Englewood, Colo., couple had planned to spend about four months exploring the Central American country's western coast. Two days after their arrival in San Jose, Brandy, a 27-year-old nurse, and Brandon, a 28-year-old salesman, boarded the Cessna, which was carrying four other passengers and two pilots.

Unknown to them, the small plane was planning to make a stop in Quepos, a town on the west coast, before stopping at their final destination. That was where the trouble struck. Thick clouds swallowed the Cessna about five minutes before it was scheduled to land in Quepos. The Wileys noticed the clouds and — in what seemed like a flash — the plane went down, shaking violently as it hit the top of a canopy of trees.

The plane crashed in a jungle area beside Chontal Mountain.

The next thing the Wileys remember is coming to after the crash. Both had been strapped into their seats, which were ripped from the plane's floor. "I heard Brandon say, 'I'm stuck, I can't get out' and all I could do was reach over and undo his seatbelt," Brandy recalled. "That's the last thing I remember until we were both out of the plane."

Survivors Gather Together

The next thing Brandy remembers is sitting on a log near the plane, about 10 feet away from her husband. She had a large gash on the side of her head, and was temporarily blinded in her right eye, though she recovered her vision after several hours.