Bahamas plane crash kills several, prompting temporary grounding of Flamingo Air
A Cessna 402 crashed near Andros Island in the Bahamas, killing all ten passengers and leading authorities to suspend Flamingo Air operations pending investigation.
A small Cessna 402 aircraft crashed in the waters west of Nassau on Friday, killing all ten people on board, including members of the Da Pond Band, according to a flight manifest obtained by CBS News. The flight had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport bound for San Andros.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis initially reported one survivor, but later confirmed the individual died from injuries during a news conference. > "We gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow," he said, adding that the nation was observing its 53rd independence anniversary and offering condolences to affected families.
The Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority identified the aircraft as a locally registered Cessna 402. In response, the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation suspended Flamingo Air's air operator certificate as a precaution while investigating the crash and a separate incident on the same day in which a Flamingo Air plane returned to Nassau after a pilot-reported concern and subsequently caught fire on the ground.