A small passenger plane carrying 17 people crashed into the ocean just seconds after taking off from a Caribbean island near mainland Honduras on Monday. The majority of passengers died in the accident, with only five survivors. Among those killed was Aurelio Martínez, a renowned Honduran musician and politician.
The Jetstream 32 aircraft departed from Roatán’s airport bound for La Ceiba, but crashed shortly after takeoff. According to authorities, 12 people were killed, while five were rescued by fishermen working near the crash site. The survivors were pulled from the ocean with severe injuries, including bones protruding from their bodies and facial trauma.
Rescue efforts continued on Monday, with authorities still attempting to recover the body of the co-pilot trapped underwater in the wreckage. Due to navigational difficulties caused by nearby reefs, recovering the aircraft’s fuselage and black box will take time.
The five survivors were transported to a hospital in San Pedro Sula for treatment. Aurelio Martínez was a prominent figure in Honduran music, known as one of the first Black representatives in the National Congress. His record label described him as “a statesman, spokesperson, and vital savior of the culture of the Garifuna people.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/world/americas/honduras-plane-crash-roatan.html