Bahamas Plane Crash Kills 10, Including Beloved Musicians, as Flamingo Air Flights Are Grounded
A devastating plane crash in North Andros has killed 10 people, including members of a popular Bahamian band and a local DJ, while triggering the temporary suspension of Flamingo Air’s flight operations.
The Cessna 402, registered as C6-FLX, left Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau shortly after 1 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026. It was en route to San Andros Airport when it reportedly encountered difficulties and crashed into dense brush before coming to rest. Authorities later confirmed that the people aboard included nine passengers and one pilot.
Initial reports created hope that one person had survived. That hope disappeared when Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis announced that the individual had died from injuries sustained in the crash. All 10 occupants were ultimately confirmed dead.
What Happened in the North Andros Plane Crash?
The fatal journey began at Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport, the main international gateway serving the Bahamian capital. The aircraft was scheduled to make the relatively short flight to San Andros Airport on North Andros.
Preliminary information released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority indicated that the Cessna 402 departed shortly after 1 p.m. and experienced unspecified difficulties as it approached its destination. The aircraft came down in the bushes near the airport before it could complete its landing.
Emergency teams from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Airport Authority, and medical services were sent into the thick vegetation surrounding the crash site. Investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority, commonly known as the AAIA, were also dispatched alongside Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas inspectors.
Authorities have not determined what caused the aircraft to encounter trouble. No official finding has established whether the crash involved a mechanical failure, weather conditions, pilot actions, fuel issues, or another factor.
Until investigators examine the wreckage, flight data, maintenance records, communications, and available witness testimony, any public claim about the cause remains speculation.
Musicians and a DJ Among the 10 Victims
The tragedy has struck deeply within the country’s entertainment community. The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed that members of The Pond Band, also widely referred to locally as Da Pond Band, and a DJ were among those killed.
The union remembered the victims as talented and energetic members of the entertainment industry whose work helped strengthen The Bahamas’ cultural identity. Their performances had reached audiences across island communities where live music remains closely connected to festivals, celebrations, hotels, clubs, and community gatherings.
A complete official victim list had not been publicly released by authorities as of Saturday. Local reporting identified several people believed to have been aboard, but officials were still completing formal notification procedures and confirming the flight manifest.
The manifest became an early source of confusion. Preliminary information initially suggested that seven people were traveling on the aircraft. Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles later confirmed that the plane carried a pilot and nine passengers.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the victims were nine men and one woman. The scale of the loss became clearer as relatives, friends, musicians and fans began sharing tributes across the country.
Initial Survivor Report Ends in Further Heartbreak
The first official updates offered a small measure of hope when Prime Minister Davis announced that one person had been rescued alive from the wreckage.
That person later died from their injuries, raising the confirmed death toll to 10 and establishing that no one aboard survived. The correction is important because some early reports continued to refer to a sole survivor after the government had confirmed the death.
The changing information reflected the difficulty of responding to a crash in dense brush while authorities were still attempting to reach the wreckage, identify the occupants, and reconcile the passenger count with the available flight documents.
As we review the established sequence, the final official account is clear: the aircraft carried 10 people, and all 10 died.
