Search and rescue efforts unable to retrieve crashed plane, locate occupants

As of Sunday, November 11, 2018

SUNDAY 7.10PM UPDATE: The search for the pilot of the plane is continuing. The latest version of this story can be found HERE

SATURDAY 7.10PM UPDATE: Search and rescue efforts have continued on Saturday, but so far have been unable to recover the plane or locate the occupants.

FRIDAY 6.30PM UPDATE: Authorities said Friday evening that the search and rescue efforts had been called off for the night.

SEARCH and rescue teams continue the search today for possible survivors of a small plane, which crashed last night in the area of Nirvana Beach.

Police said there were two persons onboard, who as of today were classified as missing.

Authorities said shortly after 8pm, police in the capital received reports from Air Traffic Control that a plane disappeared from the radar in the area of the beach and was believed to have crashed in nearby waters.

A short time later the pilot had reported that the door to the aircraft had flown open, police said.

Further reports are that the aircraft, a PA-27 six seater, registration #N8383C, left Lantana Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, with two persons on board.

“Search and Rescue teams from Royal Bahamas Police, Royal Bahamas Defence Force and BASRA located the aircraft and efforts to locate survivors are being continued. Police and the Department of Civil Aviation will continue investigation into this incident,” police said.

DDK 6 years, 1 month ago

So did the door to the aircraft fly open before or at impact? Strange report.

BoopaDoop 6 years, 1 month ago

I think they meant that the pilot reported that the door had flown open after the plane disappeared off of radar.

Bonefishpete 6 years, 1 month ago

Doors usually fly open soon after take off not before landings. Maybe a hacker flying?

lazybor 6 years, 1 month ago

Thats strange

Baha10 6 years, 1 month ago

This appears to be extremely poor reporting and indeed, inaccurate information of such a significant News worthy Story. As best I can gather, there was only one person on board, the Pilot himself, who successfull ditched the Aircraft, which initially floated before sinking, but first responder Divers found no sign of Pilot, who remains missing.

BahamaRed 6 years, 1 month ago

Unfourtuntely this is a job for a commercial dive team consisting of trained saturation divers. As far as I know there is 1 female trained in Nassau, and 1 man in Freeport.

Hopefully they can bring a team in and work with the two locals and recover the plane.

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 1 month ago

On realizing he was in Bahamian waters the pilot inflated the plane's life raft, jumped in it and began paddling liken the dickens using his shoes in the hopes of making it to Cuban waters. LMAO

milesair 6 years, 1 month ago

You sure have a strange personality. Two people are dead and your making a joke out of it?

tell_it_like_it_is 6 years, 1 month ago

Agreed. Geez, where's the empathy?

empathy 6 years, 1 month ago

Unfortunate loss of life.

This is the most commonly used approach path for planes landing at LPIA. One wonders whether Civil Aviation, authorities at LPIA and all the other rescue agencies have a “Plan” in place for this sort of crash, where aircraft dive into the ocean way short of the runway.

The photos showing a fence erected north on the beach (at Nirvana?) has to be a hinderance to any rescue efforts, is likely to be both a safety hazard and is illegal if done outside the “High Water Mark”, which would be public domain. I wonder if the fence “owners” will clear the debri when this contraption rust due to the salt water, since the sharp rusty debri will likely injure unsuspecting beach goers.

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