A Central American Airways Let L-410 aircraft crashed in central Honduras Monday, leaving at least 14 dead, El Heraldo newspaper reported.
Site of Central American Airways Flight 731 crash in Honduras. (Photo via AvHerald.com)
The accident took place at about 8:00 am local time in the Santa Ana municipality, on approach to the capital’s Toncontín International Airport (TGU). The plane crashed about one kilometer (.70 miles) from the Las Mesitas village.
Among the victims were union leader Israel Salinas and former Finance Minister Carlos Chahin. The plane departed from the Ramón Villeda Morales airport in San Pedro Sula and was heading towards Tegucigalpa.
The small aircraft was expected to land at about 8:00 am and was reported missing at 9:00 am. Preliminary reports said that the bad weather could have caused the accident.
Local residents of Santa Ana said that a loud explosion was heard shortly before 8:00 am. Authorities deployed two helicopters to aid in the rescue efforts as well as an ambulance.
The Honduran Air Force also informed that three U.S. citizens were killed in the accident, James Howard, Tom Flayer and Flin Toncruch.
The accident took place about a kilometer (0.70 miles) from the site of a Tan-Sahsa 727 crash on October 21, 1989 which killed 131 people.
