By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
CRASH investigators yesterday confirmed a debris field recently discovered by fishermen in waters off Andros is that of the ill-fated flight which crashed last month.
In a statement to the press last evening, the Air Accident Investigation Department’s chief accident investigator, Delvin Major, identified the debris as parts associated with aircraft N62769 which crashed on January 17.
Six people, including the pilot, died in the crash.
The statement read: “The Air Accident Investigation Department can now confirm the aircraft located by fishermen on February 14, 2018, and posted to social media on February 16 is indeed the ill-fated aircraft N62769.”
It continued: “The aircraft was on a flight from San Andros Airport to the Lynden Pindling International Airport, killing all six souls on board.
“The aircraft was recovered from waters adjacent to the previous search location by a salvage team with assistance from specialist divers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.”
According to Mr Major, the wreckage will be taken to the United States where additional analysis will be conducted by the Department of Civil Aviation’s Air Accident Investigation Department with assistance from specialists provided by the aircraft and engine manufacturers and the National Transportation Safety Board.
He also noted that all the aircraft’s major components and parts were recovered.
The video referred to by Mr Major showed the outline of some kind of craft in the water, as onlookers observed.
The user who posted the video to Facebook said: “They said only five per cent of the plane that went down in North Andros was found, but yesterday locals went to site and found the whole plane and the engines. They also found human bones. If one of y’all family members was on this plane, this plane would have been up out of the water.”
Since the crash, it has been revealed that the pilot lacked the required licences to charter flights.
Investigators also believe weather may have played a role in the crash.
Comments
Porcupine 6 years, 9 months ago
No Tribune. These explanations don't answer why the plane crashed. This whole investigation has been slack. How long was he made to circle Nassau. Is there more that the ATC has to tell us? Did other pilots hear anything significant that morning, apart from what we're told? Something seems fishy about the government's behaviour in the whole matter.
Islangal1 6 years, 9 months ago
I agree. This investigation was slack from the get-go. How come it took locals to find this plane crash? Even though it's been found they still slacking off on the investigation. The family of the victims should be marching on Parliment demanding answers and to make matters worse, they're trying to vilify the polite by saying had no commercial pilot's licence. There's more to this story that is exposed. Half the pilots flying charters in The Bahamas do not possess commercial licences. They go to school, gain their pilots licence and either get a job with a charter company or fly for themselves. Only when accidents happen they speak about regulating the industry.
hrysippus 6 years, 9 months ago
Yep, how dare the government vilify this pilot just because he did not have a commercial pilots license and was flying commercially and crashed his plane killing several people. Next thing you know the government will expect all us drivers on the road to have a drivers license, or even all these businesses to have a business license.
Chucky 6 years, 9 months ago
LOL well put
Gotoutintime 6 years, 9 months ago
Love it!!
BahamaRed 6 years, 9 months ago
It's like I keep saying this story has more to it than is being reported. This crash site was adjacent to the original site and it took local fisherman on a pleasure run to stumble across it.
From the start this was not a thorough investigation and they seem to be covering up crucial information.
Not negating the pilot may not have held the necessary qualifications, but there seems to be more than just a lack of paperwork to this story.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
What happens in Andros ......... stays in Andros ........... Wish the NTSB good luck with this!!!
JB357 6 years, 9 months ago
I agree. Why did it take this long to find? Also, to add to it a local had to find it. Hope they find out what happened. Key word "hope".
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