BAHAMAS GROUNDS FLAMINGO AIR AFTER CRASH KILLS 10

The Bahamian government temporarily grounded Flamingo Air after a small plane operated by the carrier crashed Friday in North Andros, killing all 10 people on board. The Associated Press and CBS News reported that the aircraft was a Cessna 402 registered in the Bahamas and operated by Flamingo Air. The plane had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau and was headed for San Andros when it crashed in a wooded area in North Andros. The Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority has launched a full investigation. Officials have not announced a cause.

The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation said the suspension of Flamingo Air's air operator certificate was a precautionary safety measure while officials investigate. The ministry said the suspension followed two safety incidents involving Flamingo Air on Friday. The fatal crash was the second of those incidents. The first involved a separate Flamingo Air aircraft en route to Mayaguana. The pilot reported a concern and returned to Nassau. After the plane landed and passengers deboarded, the aircraft caught fire. No deaths were reported in that earlier incident.

The grounding means Flamingo Air flights were temporarily suspended while aviation authorities review the incidents and the operator's safety status. A suspension during an investigation does not by itself establish the cause of the crash or determine fault. It is a regulatory step intended to protect passengers and preserve confidence while investigators examine aircraft records, operator procedures, maintenance history, crew information, weather conditions, communications and any other relevant evidence.

Prime Minister Philip Davis expressed grief after the crash, according to AP and CBS News. The crash occurred on July 10, during the Bahamas' Independence Day period, adding to the public shock. Local reporting and wire accounts said the dead included members of the Bahamian band Da Pond Band and a popular local DJ known as DJ Fresh. The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union also said musicians and a DJ connected to the band were among those killed. Those victim identities remain as reported by the union and media outlets; authorities have not released an official confirmed list, and formal identification is often delayed until families have been notified.

The crash also has broader significance because small aircraft are a practical part of transportation in the Bahamas, where communities are spread across many islands and domestic flights connect Nassau with smaller destinations. Operators serving those routes carry residents, workers and visitors, and disruptions to a carrier can affect island connectivity. In this case, the reported deaths of musicians and a DJ added a cultural dimension to the loss, but the core public-safety issue remains the aviation investigation and the temporary suspension of the carrier.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority's work will be central to the next stage of the story. Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage, flight path, aircraft condition, maintenance records, pilot qualifications, weather, communications and any available witness information. If recorders or other flight data are available, they may also be reviewed. The investigation into the separate Mayaguana-bound aircraft fire will also matter because the ministry linked Flamingo Air's suspension to both Friday incidents. The two events have not been established as sharing a cause.

Aviation investigations often begin with incomplete information, and early reports can change as officials gather evidence. The strongest confirmed facts are that a Flamingo Air-operated Cessna 402 crashed in North Andros, all 10 people on board died, a separate Flamingo Air plane caught fire after returning safely to Nassau, and the government suspended the airline's operating certificate while officials investigate.

The next developments to watch are whether the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority releases a preliminary report, whether the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation updates the status of Flamingo Air's operating certificate, and whether authorities confirm the victims' identities. Flamingo Air has not issued a detailed public statement on the crash.

Fact-check date: 12 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Associated Press and CBS News reporting on the North Andros crash, the 10 deaths and the Flamingo Air suspension; Bahamas Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation statement; Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority; Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union statement on the reported victims.