A tragic sequence of aviation mishaps in the Bahamas, highlighted by a fatal plane crash in North Andros and a separate aircraft fire, led the government to halt the operations of a local airline and initiate a federal safety investigation.
Not long after 1 p.m. local time on Friday, a Cessna 402, registered in the Bahamas, took off from Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, en route to San Andros Airport.
According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA), the plane “encountered difficulties” and crashed into the bushes shortly before it was scheduled to land.
Officials reported that the plane crash on Friday in the Bahamas claimed the lives of 10 individuals. (Our News Bahamas via AP)
In response, first responders from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Airport Authority, and emergency medical teams swiftly arrived at the densely wooded crash site.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed in a statement Saturday that 10 people died in the crash, including prominent members of the “The Pond Band” and a local DJ, whose artistry the union said “touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said a sole survivor was pulled from the wreckage.
“Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief,” Davis wrote in a statement on X. “We are also praying for the survivor, whose recovery and care will remain in our thoughts.”
The identities of those killed in the crash have not yet been released.
While the AAIA’s preliminary reports initially indicated seven people were on board, officials are still establishing the facts of the flight manifest.
Just hours before the fatal crash in North Andros, a Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana was forced to turn back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MoET).
After the aircraft landed and passengers safely deplaned, the plane caught fire on the runway.
FILE – The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate following two aircraft incidents Friday. (iStock)
Following the two back-to-back safety incidents, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate, according to MoET officials.
“The suspension is a precautionary safety measure and should not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air,” the agency wrote in a statement.
FILE – The plane crashed in North Andros on Friday after taking off from Lynden Pindling International Airport. (Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Investigators from the AAIA and inspectors from the CAAB remain at the scene in North Andros as they work to determine what caused the Cessna 402 tragedy.
Flamingo Air did not immediately respond to News Media’s request for comment.