At least 12 people were killed after the plane crashed from Honduras' Caribbean coast on Monday evening, officials said.
The aircraft – run by Honduras Airlines' Lancea – crashed into the sea within a minute of taking off from Roatan Island.
The Honduras National Police and the fire department separately said five people were rescued, but one has not yet been found.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, but the mayor of Rotan told local media that it was normal, not because of the weather. The Honduras Civil Aviation Authority said an investigation is ongoing.
The 32 jetstream aircraft took off from the island's Juan Manuel Galves International Airport at 18:18 local time (00:18 GMT on Tuesday) and headed to Goloson International Airport in Rasiba, Hongjuran mainland.
Civil Aviation official Carlos Padilla said the plane “turned sharply to the right of the runway and fell into the water.”
In a statement on social media, the government expressed “solidarity” with the victims' families.
“The Honduras government is deeply regretting the tragic accident at Roatan and is taking part in the mourning of its citizens,” he added.
After the crash, Honduras President Xiomara Castro “quickly revitalized” the national emergency committee consisting of all emergency services, including the military, police, fire departments, the Red Cross and the Ministry of Health.
Written in X, she said the committee team is “triggeringly trying” to provide support.
“May God protect the lives of people,” Castro added.
Videos shared by officials on social media show rescue teams working in the dark along a rocky coastline with small boats and stretchers.
In a post with photos of X, Honduras forces said the injured survivors were taken to hospitals in San Pedrosura by air force aircraft.
Among the dead was Aurelio Martinez Suzo, a well-known Honduras musician, according to local media reports.
Suzeau was a member of Garifuna, a mixed indigenous and descendant of the Afro-Caribbean, originating from St. Vincent's island with a distinctive musical style.
