The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FLAMINGO Air aircraft were involved in at least 14 publicly recorded accidents and safety incidents over the two decades before Friday’s fatal crash near San Andros Airport, with many of the earlier occurrences involving landing-gear failures, runway excursions or emergency landings.

The crash, which killed the pilot and nine passengers, was the airline’s first publicly recorded fatal accident.

The government has suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate as a precaution while authorities investigate the crash and a separate fire involving another of the airline’s aircraft earlier that day. Officials stressed that the suspension was not an adverse finding against the carrier.

Flamingo Air met relatives of the victims yesterday and said it would begin making and receiving calls today to arrange refunds for customers affected by the suspension.

A review of aviation investigation records and contemporary news reports found that none of the airline’s earlier publicly documented incidents resulted in a death, although several aircraft were substantially damaged and some occupants suffered minor injuries.

Investigators have not established that any previous occurrence was connected to Friday’s crash, whose cause remains under investigation.

The earliest accident identified in public records occurred on May 16, 2005, when a Flamingo Air Britten-Norman Islander ran out of fuel while approaching Exuma.

The flight had originated in Freeport and stopped in South Bimini before continuing to Exuma. Both engines stopped near its destination, forcing the pilot to land in bushes about 5.5km northeast of Exuma International Airport. All three people aboard survived, but the aircraft was substantially damaged and written off. Investigators determined that fuel exhaustion caused the accident. They found that the pilot could not properly calculate the fuel required and exercised poor judgement by continuing to Exuma instead of returning to New Providence after first encountering a problem.

On July 31, 2012, four people survived after a Flamingo Air Piper Aztec developed mechanical problems shortly after leaving Grand Bahama International Airport and came down in mangroves east of the airport.

Less than three weeks later, on August 18, 2012, a Flamingo Air Cessna 402 carrying nine people struck bushes at Staniel Cay Airport after its crew attempted a go-around following touchdown on a wet runway. Several passengers were treated for minor injuries and discharged, while the aircraft sustained extensive damage. Investigators cited the decision to continue the approach to the short, wet runway and attempt a go-around without sufficient runway remaining. They also identified weather, pilot decision-making and unfamiliarity with the aircraft’s systems and performance as contributing factors.

In October 2013, a Flamingo Air Cessna 402 made an emergency landing at Mayaguana Airport after experiencing a landing problem. The aircraft was operating a charter flight with two pilots and no passengers. Neither pilot was injured.

Two landing accidents were publicly recorded in 2016. On June 3, passengers escaped without injury when the landing gear of a Flamingo Air aircraft failed to deploy properly as it landed at Staniel Cay. The aircraft came to rest on its underside. On August 15, a Flamingo Air Beechcraft 99 suffered a runway excursion at South Bimini Airport after its right main landing gear collapsed. No injuries were reported, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

Another Beechcraft 99 was substantially damaged at Black Point, Exuma, on December 1, 2019. The aircraft, carrying 14 people, touched down before the usable portion of the runway. Its right main landing gear entered a shallow depression and struck an exposed section of asphalt before collapsing. The disabled aircraft travelled more than 1,500ft, left the runway and stopped in bushes. Its right wing, propeller, landing gear and fuselage were damaged, but no one was injured. The accident prompted the Civil Aviation Authority to suspend the two pilots and require competency evaluations. They were later reinstated after demonstrating proficiency.

On February 12, 2020, the landing gear of a Flamingo Air Cessna 402 collapsed while the aircraft was taxiing at Leonard M Thompson International Airport in Marsh Harbour after arriving from Grand Bahama. Ten people were reportedly aboard and no injuries were recorded.

Four months later, on June 12, 2020, another Flamingo Air Beechcraft 99 experienced a nose-landing-gear problem while approaching Staniel Cay. The two pilots aborted the approach and returned to New Providence with five passengers aboard after receiving an unsafe nose-gear indication. Attempts to extend the gear manually were unsuccessful. The nose gear collapsed during the landing roll at Lynden Pindling International Airport, damaging the aircraft’s nose, both propellers and landing gear. Investigators found that the nose-gear actuator could not extend far enough for the gear to lock safely, indicating a possible internal failure. No one was injured.

Another landing-gear collapse occurred at Black Point on October 18, 2022. A Flamingo Air Beechcraft 99 suffered a failure of its left main landing gear, left or overran the runway and came to rest in bushes. Eleven people were aboard and no injuries were reported.

Black Point was again the scene of an accident on August 24, 2023, when a Flamingo Air Beechcraft 99 made a gear-up landing. The pilot and nine passengers escaped without injury, although the aircraft was substantially damaged.

On October 2, 2023, the passenger door of another Beechcraft 99 opened shortly after the aircraft took off from Nassau for Staniel Cay. The aircraft returned safely to Lynden Pindling International Airport and no injuries were reported. Flamingo Air said the incident resulted from a failure to fasten the latch properly. It said an employee had been disciplined and staff would receive refresher training.

The incident resulted in a temporary grounding while authorities examined whether the airline was complying with safety requirements.

Another door incident attracted attention in July 2024 after a video showed a Flamingo Air aircraft moving on the ground with an emergency exit open. The airline said a passenger opened the exit while the aircraft was taxiing after landing and that the pilot immediately stopped. No injuries were reported.

On April 9 this year, a Flamingo Air Beechcraft 99 arriving in New Providence suffered a collapse of its left main landing gear. Publicly available information about that accident remains limited, but no deaths were reported.

Another emergency unfolded on Friday morning, hours before the fatal crash. Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said a Flamingo Air aircraft heading to Mayaguana returned to New Providence after the pilot reported a concern. The passengers left the aircraft safely before it caught fire on the ground. That incident is also under investigation.