Aerolínea Lanhsa Flight 018, a British Aerospace Jetstream, was a Honduran charter flight to carry passengers from Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport, on Roatán Island, department of Islas de la Bahía, to Golosón International Airport in La Ceiba, department of Atlántida.^[1] The aircraft crashed into the sea at 18:18 local time after overshooting the runway on takeoff, killing 13 of the 18 passengers and crew, including Honduran singer and politician Aurelio Martínez.^[2][3][4] The wreckage was found one kilometer (0.62 miles) off the coast according to the authorities.^[5]

The aircraft involved was a 35-year old British Aerospace Jetstream 32 powered by twin Honeywell TPE331 turboprop engines registered as HR-AYW and operated by Honduran airline Aerolínea Lanhsa.^[6][4][7][8]

There were 18 people on board, three crew and 15 passengers. A French woman and an American were among the passengers. All of the victims were Hondurans. The flight crew consisted of pilot Luis Ángel Araya, co-pilot Francisco Lagos and a flight attendant.^[9] Musician and former congressman Aurelio Martínez, one of the victims, was on board the aircraft. Of the five rescued people, all were sent to a hospital, including a man with a fractured shinbone and minor head trauma.^[10]

The aircraft took off from runway 07 at Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport for its flight to Golosón International Airport. The aircraft experienced a suspected mechanical failure one minute after takeoff then made a right turn and impacted water about one kilometer from the coastline. Local authorities reported that one of the plane's engines lost power before impacting the sea.^[11] The aircraft was submerged about 50 metres (160 ft) in an area with rocky seabed, making it difficult for rescuers to reach.^[12][13][14] The last passenger's body, a woman travelling with her husband was recovered the day after the accident. Her husband survived and was taken to a hospital.^[10][15]

The Government of Honduras said in a statement that it "deeply regrets the tragic accident in Roatán and joins in the national mourning". President Xiomara Castro activated an emergency committee after the accident.^[16] The bodies of the victims were taken to a morgue in San Pedro Sula.^[17]