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Small Plane Crash in North Andros Kills All 10 Aboard
A Cessna 402 crashed in a wooded area of North Andros on July 10, killing nine men and one woman. The Bahamian government suspended Flamingo Air operations after two incidents that day.
Jul 11, 8:21 AM·1m read2 sources
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A small plane crashed in a wooded area in North Andros on Friday, killing all 10 people on board. CBS News reported that the Cessna 402, registered in the Bahamas, had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau and was headed to San Andros. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said nine men and one woman died.
The plane was engulfed in flames when police reached the scene. Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis initially said one person survived but later confirmed in a news conference that the individual died from injuries. "We gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow," Davis said, noting the crash occurred during the Bahamas' 53rd independence anniversary celebrations.
"It has become a day of mourning. ... " The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation suspended Flamingo Air's air operator certificate as a precautionary measure after two safety incidents on Friday.
Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said the first incident involved another Flamingo Air plane en route to Mayaguana. The pilot reported a concern, returned to Nassau, and the plane caught fire after passengers deboarded. That incident remains under investigation.
Officials have not released the names of those on board. An aviation source said the manifest listed members of Da Pond Band and that DJ Fresh, a popular island DJ, was believed to be among the passengers. Members of the band were among the dead.
