Plane crashes in Bahamas, 10 dead; PM Davis says he is grief-stricken; Flamingo Air flights suspended

A small plane crashed in the Bahamas on Friday, killing 10 people and prompting the government to temporarily ground Flamingo Air flights. The deadly incident happened in North Andros, located in waters just west of Nassau, the archipelago's capital.

Philip Brave Davis, the prime minister of the Bahamas, said he was heartbroken, and initially told a news conference there was one survivor, but later said the person had died from their injuries.

“We come together under a cloud of great sadness,” he said, adding that people were celebrating the Bahamas’ 53rd independence anniversary. “It’s a day for mourning. ... To all those families who have received the crushing news that someone they love will not be coming home, we extend our heartfelt condolences.”

The plane departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau and was headed to San Andros when it crashed, the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said in a statement. The plane was identified as a Cessna 402 registered in the Bahamas.

The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation said the suspension of Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate was a simple safety precaution as officials investigate the cause of the crash. The suspension comes after two safety incidents occurred Friday, the ministry said.

“The first incident was earlier Friday with a Flamingo Air plane,” Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said during the press conference. The pilot said he was having a problem and turned back to Nassau on the way to Mayaguana. She said the plane caught fire after it landed and passengers exited the plane. That incident is also being investigated.

In 2014, the government of the Bahamas said that another small plane had crashed on approach to the island of Grand Bahama, killing all 9 people on board. The Lear 36 Executive Jet had taken off from the Bahamian capital of Nassau and crashed while trying to land around 5 pm local time in Freeport, a statement from the Ministry of Transport and Aviation said.

“The Department of Civil Aviation has been unofficially advised that the aircraft was destroyed and there were no survivors,” the ministry said. Names of the victims were not immediately released. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but it was raining heavily in the area. Police and fire officials were on the scene and a full investigation would begin at daylight Monday.

The crash happened as people were arriving in Grand Bahama for an annual leadership conference with a Christian theme. Among those killed was Myles Munroe, a prominent Bahamian minister who organized the event, and several other people who were in his delegation, the Bahamas Tribune newspaper reported.