A tragic aviation accident occurred in the Bahamas on July 10, 2026, at 7:52 PM EDT, resulting in multiple fatalities and forcing the national government to temporarily suspend the air operator certificate for Flamingo Air. The crash involved a Cessna 402 aircraft registered in the Bahamas, which had departed from Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, headed toward San Andros.
According to a flight manifest obtained by CBS News, ten individuals were scheduled to be on board the flight, which ultimately went down in North Andros, located in waters just west of the archipelago’s capital. An aviation source indicated that members of the musical group Da Pond Band were among those set to be on the flight, though officials have not yet released a formal list of the victims or specific details regarding their conditions.
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis initially reported that one person had survived the crash, but he later confirmed during a news conference that the individual had succumbed to their injuries. The Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority is currently looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation stated that the decision to ground Flamingo Air is a precautionary measure while investigations into the cause of the crash proceed. Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis explained that the suspension is also linked to a separate safety incident that occurred earlier on Friday. In that instance, a Flamingo Air plane en route to Mayaguana was forced to return to Nassau after the pilot reported concerns. Following the landing and the deboarding of passengers, that aircraft caught fire, an incident that remains under official investigation.
Cristian Benavides contributed to this report.
