A Let L-410 Turbolet, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident |
|
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 14, 2011 |
| Type | Under investigation/Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Passengers | 12 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 14 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Let L-410 Turbolet |
| Operator | Central American Airlines |
| Tail number | HR-AUQ |
| Flight origin | Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |
| Destination | Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
Central American Airways Flight 731 was a passenger flight which crashed on approach to Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on February 14, 2011. All 14 aboard died. The aircraft involved, a Let L-410 Turbolet, was operating Central American Airlines' scheduled domestic service from Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, San Pedro Sula.[1]
The crash occured just before 9am. The weather in the area was reportedly poor at the time of the crash.[2][3]
Among the dead were Rodolfo Rovelo, Honduran Assistant Secretary for Public Works, and Jose Israel Salinas, leader of the United Workers Federation of Honduras.[4] Former finance minister Carlos Chain was also on board.[5] Additionally, two Americans and one Canadian are believed to have been aboard the plane.[6] In response to the incident, the government of Honduras declared three days of national mourning for the deceased government officials.[6]
In response to the crash, the Honduran government said it would undertake an investigation into the incident, and rescuers began searching for the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder soon after it crashed.[7] The head of the investigation stated that because the aircraft was European, and not American, it created difficulties as there were very few experienced local pilots and technicians trained to operate on the aircraft.[8]
The accident raised questions about the safety and relocation of the Tegucigalpa Airport.[9][10] The President of Honduras called for the airport to be relocated, stating that it was impossible to have a major airport in its current location due to the surrounding terrain.[11]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Let L-410UVP-E20 Turbolet, registration HR-AUQ, serial number 912603. It first flew in 1991, and served with a number of airlines before the accident.[3]