The Tribune

A PILOT swam to shore after a small plane developed mechanical problems and ditched in shallow waters off Cat Cay on Sunday night.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the pilot, the only person on board, reported mechanical difficulties while en route and tried to land at Cat Cay Airport at about 9pm.

The aircraft, a Tecnam P-Mentor with United States registration N102US, could not complete the landing and went down about 1,000 feet south of the runway.

The pilot got out of the aircraft, swam to shore and was taken for a medical assessment. The pilot was reported to be in good health.

The Tecnam P-Mentor is an Italian-made, two-seat, single-engine aircraft designed mainly for training pilots. It was introduced in 2022.

Cat Cay Airport is a private airstrip in the Bimini district that serves the Cat Cay Yacht Club.

The AAIA said it is investigating the crash under international standards for aircraft accident investigations set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as local regulations. It said updates would be provided as necessary.

The AAIA did not say where the flight began or where it was headed, the pilot’s nationality, or what mechanical problem was reported.

It is the latest in a string of aviation accidents in the Bimini area this year.

In April, a Piper Navajo bound for Opa-Locka, Florida, crashed into shallow waters shortly after taking off from South Bimini International Airport at night. Kyle Wade, 20, was killed, and his father, Andre Wade, the pilot, was seriously injured.

A preliminary AAIA report later said the aircraft may have climbed only between 50 and 100 feet before it came down.

In August, a Tropic Ocean Airways seaplane carrying eight American tourists and two crew members slammed into a dock while trying to take off near a resort in North Bimini. All ten people on board were rescued and no injuries were reported.

Cat Cay has seen a similar ditching before. In 2023, a single-engine Piper PA-28 suffered an engine malfunction after taking off from the island and was ditched in waters off its northern end. The pilot and two passengers, all Bahamians, swam to safety.