Latin America
Related: About this forumAt least 12 dead after Honduras plane crashes into the water after takeoff
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A plane crashed just off the Caribbean coast of Honduras on Monday night minutes after taking off from Roatan Island, killing 12 people, authorities said, while five survived the crash and one person remains missing.
The wreckage of the small Jetstream aircraft, operated by Honduran airline Lanhsa, was found about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) off the island's coast, according to the country's transport minister.
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https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/fatalities-reported-after-honduras-plane-crash-says-local-police-chief-2025-03-18/


MuseRider
(34,538 posts)all about leaving Roatan on their planes. This used to be a fairly common story.
OUR plane (the good one in Guanaja) left in the dark off a gravel road with a short runway dropping right off the shore. We used to call it El Diablo. Once I looked out the window and the wing was on fire just before take off. The pilot got up and stuffed a big rag in the fuel tank and off we went. We were all certain we would explode. BUT we never had a bad flight. Roatan had a runway that just ran flat until there was no more ground and dropped off just above the water. Back then they had lots of problems. The joke was to stay in your scuba gear until you landed on dry land.
Judi Lynn
(163,195 posts)
MuseRider
(34,538 posts)Guanaja was more rustic and remote then until everyone wanted to swim with the big whales or go on the shark dives. I don't think there is much left of Guanaja after the big hurricane. The part of the island where we would go was gone. It is really sad. That is a lot of people. I would guess many were workers going to the mainland.
Judi Lynn
(163,195 posts)What a shame hurricanes feel compelled to destroy fragile, unforgettable, pristine, rare environments and blow straight by miles of used car lots, with flapping banners and giant advertising dummies, and head straight toward the few remaining earthly paradises.
Tropical flora, fauna are incredibly beautiful. You must have wonderful memories of your time spent with them.
MuseRider
(34,538 posts)I have a few more. There was nothing there when we started our little, 3 of us, diving group from Kansas. A short gravel runway with an office in a shack that only 2 people could fit in with no lights. A short hike to a really nice little hotel, very small and rustic with great cooks there. We gave them a roaring cheer every night, SO good. The diving was, at first, never more than the 3 of us who did dive, the others did whatever they did and we would meet up after naps for drinks and dinner. How our friend found this place is pretty amazing, it was ideal. We went back 3 times and got to dive with the head of the International *something something something* who came to dive the Grouper breeding.
By seeing this map you made me remember something I had forgotten. They have marked and placed the dive sites with names and lo and behold there is still one that we dove often with the same name, Jim's Silverload. We drove that site a lot. Thanks again for a bunch of memories that make me so happy. I miss being able to do that all again.