Ten people have died after a small aircraft crashed in the Bahamas during a short flight that was expected to last about 20 minutes.
The fatal crash happened shortly before 1 p.m. Friday in North Andros, west of Nassau, the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said.
Officials said the Flamingo Air plane had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau and was headed to San Andros Airport, roughly 40 miles away.
According to authorities, the aircraft “reportedly encountered difficulties” before coming down in a bushy area as it approached its destination.
Video from the scene showed smoking debris spread across a wooded area in the aftermath of the crash.
The disaster occurred as the Bahamas marked its 53rd anniversary of independence, prompting Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis to say the national celebration had turned into “a day of mourning.”
“We gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow,” Davis said, according to the Associated Press.
“To every family that has received the devastating news that someone they love will not be coming home, we offer our deepest condolences,” he added.
Video captured of the aftermath of Friday’s crash in the Bahamas which killed ten people showed smoky debris strewn across a wooded area
The plane that crashed was identified as a Cessna 402 with the registration C6–FLX. Flamingo Air confirmed that it owned the aircraft
Davis initially said that one person survived the wreck, though he later confirmed that the individual had died from their injuries.
Officials identified the plane as a Bahamas–registered Cessna 402 with the registration C6-FLX.
Shanta Knowles, the Bahamas Commissioner of Police, confirmed that police had a list of the victims’ names, according to Our News Bahamas.
However, their identities would not be released until family members were identified to make sure that the listing was correct.
Knowles added that a team of investigators was in Andros to attempt to piece the fatal accident together.
Members of Bahamian musical group Da Pond Band were scheduled to be on the flight, according to CBS News.
The Bahamas Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation said in a statement that Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate had been suspended temporarily as a ‘precautionary safety measure.’
The statement added that the suspension ‘should not be treated as an adverse compliance action’ against the airline.
However, it specified that the suspension was also attributed to a second ‘safety incident’ that had occurred that day.
Before crashing shortly after 1pm, the plane had left Lynden Pindling International Airport (pictured) in Nassau and was on its way to San Andros Airport
Bahamian authorities said the plane ‘reportedly encountered difficulties and crashed into bushes prior to landing’ on Andros (pictured). The crash is under investigation
During a press conference on Friday, Jobeth Coleby–Davis, the Bahamian minister of energy, utilities and aviation, said an issue with a separate Flamingo Air flight had been reported earlier that morning.
Coleby–Davis explained that the plane was flying to Mayaguana when the pilot had concerns and returned to Nassau, according to local outlet The Tribune.
After landing in the country’s capital and evacuating everyone off the plane, the aircraft caught on fire, Coleby–Davis said.
She confirmed that no one had died in that incident, which was being investigated.
Flamingo Air addressed the fatal plane crash while extending condolences to the victims’ families.
‘We can confirm that an aircraft owned by Flamingo Air experienced a fatal crash in the North Andros, Bahamas, area today,’ the company said in a statement reported by the outlet.
The airline added that they were committed to cooperating with the relevant authorities.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Flamingo Air and the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority for further comment.
