At least six people, including a child, were killed when a Piper Aztec plane crashed near Andros Island on Wednesday.
While details of the crash are still being awaited, the parliamentary representative for North Andros and Berry Islands, Carlton Bowleg Jr, said that the plane which was reported missing en route to Nassau from Andros had indeed crashed.
Bowleg, who offered condolences to the victims of the crash, said he knew all of the victims.
Aviation officials confirmed the discovery of one body floating in waters just east of North Andros. They said debris found near the body could be associated with a wider crash, but were unable to confirm it as the crash site.
“We got a call around 11.00 am (local time) that indicated that a plane left Andros around 8.00 am (local time) headed for Nassau. According to all information on the ground here, that flight never arrived,” Director of the Accident Investigations Department in the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority Delvin Major told reporters.
Major explained that officials are unable to provide any details on the aircraft and its flight plan. He said that flights leaving Family Island airports are not required to log flight plans, a detail that has limited the department’s initial investigation.
“We don’t know much about the plane, the pilot, and the passengers. All we can say is that the plane was a Piper Aztec and that it was headed from Andros to Nassau.”
Transport and Aviation Minister Dionsio D’Aguilar confirmed that a private plane crashed in Andros shortly after take-off Wednesday morning, killing all six people on board.
The Bahamas Coast Guard has so far recovered two bodies, according to Mangrove Cay Administrator Glenn Lightbourne.
“The plane took off on their way to Nassau from Andros. It gained altitude to appear on the radar, unfortunately it turned around to return, we believe to San Andros for some reason, we don’t know why.
“Unfortunately, it never made it back to San Andros Airport and initial indications are that the plane indeed crashed and the six souls on-board have been lost. It’s a very tragic and sad event,” D’Aguilar said.
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