The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force yesterday expressed condolences to the families of Jason Allen and Lavan Paul, two former marines who died in a plane crash in Abaco on Monday.

The agency gave some insight into the backgrounds of the two men.

The RBDF said: “Acting Sub Lieutenant Lavan Paul joined the organisation as a member of Entry 48, on June 6, 2011. On completion of his initial training, he was immediately drafted to the Military Police Department, where he served until he was selected as an officer candidate to go to Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, on April 2012 to complete officer training.

“He was assigned to a patrol craft upon completion of the officer training with a view of earning a Bridge Watch Keeping Certificate before eventually joining the Airwing Department. He was appointed to the rank of acting sub lieutenant and assigned to the Airwing Department, where he served until he resigned from the organisation on July 17, 2017.

“Marine Seaman Allen joined the organisation as a member of Entry 52, on January 10, 2015. On completion of his initial training, he was immediately drafted to the Airwing Department, where he was assigned as a pilot-in-training/air crewman. He was later drafted to the Force Protection and Military Police Unit, where he served until his honourable discharge from the organisation on August 31, 2018. Allen’s time spent as a member of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force is greatly appreciated.”

Allen and Paul crashed about 2,000ft from the Treasure Cay runway shortly after 3.30pm on Monday. Police are still trying to piece together the suspicious circumstances that prompted the two men to fly the IAI Westward jet on Monday.

Captain Delvin Major, chief investigator of the Air Accident Investigation Authority, has said the pilots were not licensed to fly the plane. Allen was a student pilot. While Paul had an airline transport licence, he did not have the required type rating to fly the aircraft.

Police have opened a stolen plane investigation into the matter after the foreign pilots who flew the plane to Treasure Cay from the Dominican Republic filed a theft report on Tuesday.