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A devastating twin aviation crisis in the Bahamas, involving a fatal North Andros plane crash and a fire on a separate plane on Friday, prompted the government to suspend flight operations for a local airline and launch a federal safety investigation.
Shortly after 1 p.m. local time on Friday, a Cessna 402 aircraft with Bahamian registration took off from Lyndon Pindling International Airport in Nassau for San Andros Airport.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the plane “encountered difficulties” and crashed into bushes before landing.
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Ten people were killed in a Bahamas plane crash Friday, officials said. (Our News Bahamas via AP)
First responders, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, airport authorities and emergency medical personnel, rushed to the dense jungle where the plane went down.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed in a statement Saturday that 10 people died in the crash, including key members of “The Pond Band” and a local DJ whose artistry “has touched the lives of so many and helped enrich the cultural fabric of the Bahamas.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said the only survivor was pulled from the debris.
“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 survivors, whose recovery and care will remain in our thoughts.”
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The identities of those killed in the accident have not yet been released.
While preliminary reports from AAIA initially indicated that there were seven people on board the plane, authorities are still ascertaining the facts of the flight.
Just hours before the fatal crash in North Andros, a Flamingo Air plane bound for Mayaguana was forced to return to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MOET).
After the plane landed and the passengers disembarked safely, the plane caught fire on the runway.
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FILE – The Civil Aviation Authority of Bahamas temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate following two aircraft incidents on Friday. (iStock)
The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) has temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate, following two consecutive safety incidents, according to MoET officials.
“The suspension is a precautionary security measure and should not be construed 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 Lyndon Pindling International Airport. (Melissa Alsena/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
AAIA investigators and CAAB inspectors remain at the scene in North Andros as they work to determine what caused the Cessna 402 tragedy.
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Flamingo Air did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
