May 23 (UPI) — Six Americans were aboard a private jet that split in half when it crashed while departing Honduras, authorities said.
The Texas-registered Gulfstream G200 crashed after taking off from Toncontin International airport in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa Tuesday. Officials said it skidded off the runway and into a culvert.
The crash sheared the plane’s fuselage in half, between its cockpit and wings.
The passengers included Joe Rotunda, president of the Austin-based loan company EZCorp, KXAN-TV reported.
The Honduras Civil Aviation Agency said all passengers and crew were taken to a hospital for examination. KXAN-TV reported Rotunda required surgery.
The airport is regarded as one of the world’s most dangerous places to land because of its short runways, difficult approach and mountainous terrain. Fourteen people died in a 2008 crash in nearly the same spot as Tuesday’s.
