A deadly aviation emergency in the Bahamas on Friday, followed by a separate aircraft fire, has led officials to halt operations for a local airline and open a federal safety investigation.
The crash occurred shortly after 1 p.m. local time, when a Bahamian-registered Cessna 402 left Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau en route to San Andros Airport.
According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority, the aircraft ran into trouble before landing and went down in a brush-covered area.
Officials said 10 people were killed in Friday’s plane crash in the Bahamas. (Our News Bahamas via AP)
Emergency crews, including members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Airport Authority and medical responders, moved quickly to reach the remote crash site in the thick vegetation.
In a statement Saturday, the Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union said 10 people were killed, among them well-known members of “The Pond Band” and a local DJ. The union said their talent “touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said one person survived and was rescued from the wreckage.
“Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief,” Davis said in a post 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 INC News’s request for comment.
