No survivors in Honduras plane crash; U.S. citizens among the dead

TEGUCIGALPA — All 14 people aboard a small passenger plane died Monday when the plane crashed near the Honduran capital, authorities said.

The accident occurred in the sector of Las Mesitas, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Tegucigalpa. At the time of the accident there were high winds and cloudy skies from a storm in the Caribbean.

Reports say at least three of the dead are U.S. citizens. Among the victims were the Honduran businessman and ex-economy minister, Carlos Chain, according to the list released by the company that owns the airplane.

The plane, a twin-engine Let 410, took off from the northern city of San Pedro Sula around 7:00 a.m. on what was supposed to be a 40-minute flight to Tegucigalpa. Reports pin the accident on bad weather.

Airplane wreckage and human remains were scattered over a heavily wooded area. The scene of the crash has been difficult to access by rescue workers due to all the vegetation.