The crash occured near the French Guiana border

The twin-engine Antonov AN-28, was run by local carrier Blue Wing airlines, which operates from the capital, Paramaribo.

Officials at the Paramaribo airport said the flight took off from the airport at 10:00 am local time and crashed about an hour later in a mountainous region near the French Guiana border, killing 17 passengers and two pilots.

Arie Verkuyl, a member of Blue Wing's board of directors, told The Associated Press his daughter was the pilot, and that the crash occurred in a light rain just as she was trying to land after an aborted previous attempt.

BBC Caribbean reporter Steven Vanfrederikslust said Surinamese are in shock over the incident.

Officials are investigating the crash.

Flights grounded

Typically flights in the area ferry passengers working in the gold-mining industry.

The airline was founded six years ago and has a fleet of 10 small planes, including two 18-seater Antonovs.

In June 2006, European Union authorities temporarily banned Blue Wing from landing at European airports, after French aviation officials discovered safety deficiencies.

However the ban was lifted last year, after the European Commission said the company had resolved the issues.

The last serious plane crash in Suriname was in 2001, when 10 people died in an accident in a remote central region on a flight run by another local company.