BELIZE CITY, Tues. July 17, 2018– A Tropic Air single-engine aircraft that had flown from Belize City to Flores, Peten, Guatemala, was severely damaged in a freak accident after it dropped off its passengers.

Around 5:00 p.m. today, the plane was parked at the Santa Elena-Mundo Maya Airport in Flores, Petén, when a sudden gust of wind hit the area and flipped the aircraft, turning it upside down.

The president of Tropic Air,  John Greif III, , told News5 that the aircraft was damaged and their insurance company will determine if it should be put back into service or replaced.

Greif said that Tropic Air has a daily flight to Flores, Peten, and the plane, a seven-seater had carried passengers on that flight.

While the plane was not completely destroyed, Greif said it was severely damaged and he doubts that it can be restored to usable condition.