A double aviation crisis, including a fatal plane crash and a runway blaze, turned what was a time for celebration in the Bahamas into a period of mourning this past week. The devastating tragedy on Friday prompted the country’s aviation authority to temporarily suspend operations of the involved airline: Flamingo Air.
The fatal crash happened on the day of the archipelago’s 53rd independence anniversary.
“Today is a day of celebration but it has become a day of mourning,” Prime Minister Philip Davis said during a media conference. “Once again, a chapter in our nation’s story has been marked by tragedy.”
Plane crash and separate runway fire devastate Bahamas on the same day
Although a plane crash in North Andros, located in waters just west of the Bahamas’ capital of Nassau, that killed ten people became the bigger news on Friday, an earlier incident involving another Flamingo Air plane catching fire on the runway was reported the same day.
According to the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority, a Cessna 402 aircraft operated by the local Bahamas-based airline had taken off from Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau for a short trip to San Andros when it “reportedly encountered difficulties” and subsequently crashed into bushes before landing.
A day after the fatal accident, the Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed that the 10 people who lost their lives in the crash included members of The Pond Band and a DJ.
“(Their) passion, dedication, and artistry touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas,” the union stated.
Prime Minister Davis initially said that one survivor was pulled from the wreckage. However, hours later, he confirmed that the individual had succumbed to their injuries.
Merely hours before the North Andros plane crash, a different Flamingo Air plane destined for Mayaguana was forced to turn back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the country’s Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MoET).
The plane caught fire on the runway after it landed. All passengers had safely deplaned prior to the incident, CBS News reported.
Flamingo Air’s license suspended
In the wake of the “two safety incidents” on the same day, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) suspended Flamingo Air’s air operator’s certificate, the critical license granted to an airline to operate commercial flights.
Bahamas’ aviation authority has since declared the suspension a “precautionary safety measure,” adding that it should “not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air.”
Addressing the matter in response to local media, the airline said, “At this time, the details are being gathered, and we are committed to cooperating with the relevant authorities.”