Ten Dead After Small Plane Crashes on Andros Island in the Bahamas
A Cessna 402 operated by Flamingo Air crashed near San Andros Airport, killing ten people including the pilot, as authorities suspended the airline’s flights pending investigation.
Ten people, including the pilot, were killed when a small aircraft crashed on Andros, the largest island in the Bahamas, on Friday, officials said. The Cessna 402, operated by Flamingo Air, had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau around 12:30 p.m. and was en route to San Andros Airport when it encountered difficulties and struck vegetation shortly before 2 p.m., according to a preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority of the Bahamas.
Royal Bahamas Police Commissioner Shanta Emily Knowles told a news conference that police received reports of the crash near the San Andros Airport and that a single survivor was found with critical injuries but later died. The identities of the victims have not been released.
The Bahamas Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation announced a suspension of all Flamingo Air flights “in the interest of aviation and safety,” describing the measure as precautionary rather than punitive. Flamingo Air did not respond to a request for comment.
Prime Minister Philip Davis, speaking at the same briefing, noted that the tragedy occurred on the 53rd anniversary of the Bahamas’ independence, a day usually marked by celebrations.
"It is a day that usually fills our heart with pride, gratitude and hope," Davis said. "Instead, we gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow."
Investigations are ongoing by the Royal Bahamas Police Force and other agencies.