Plane carrying four goes missing between Bahamas and South Florida
Key Points(5)
- A small plane with four people on board has gone missing as it flew from the Bahamas to Miami on Monday, officials said.
- The Piper PA-34 aircraft departed after 10 a.m.
- from the Great Harbour Cay Airport, according to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA).
- While on its way to Miami Executive Airport, the aircraft lost contact, officials said.
- The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and the United States Coast Guard were notified.
A small plane carrying four people, including an elderly couple and their two grandchildren, has gone missing while traveling from the Bahamas to South Florida, prompting a search involving Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Piper PA-34 departed Great Harbour Cay Airport on Monday morning and was headed to South Florida when authorities lost contact with the aircraft near Andros Island, according to officials.
The Bahamas Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the aircraft departed Great Harbour Cay shortly after 10 a.m. for Miami Executive Airport but subsequently lost contact, prompting authorities to notify the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard confirmed it was working with Bahamian authorities to locate the aircraft, which may have gone down in the sea approximately 15 miles from Andros Island.
Bahamian police said they received a report around 2:20 p.m. Monday that an aircraft may have gone into the water. According to police, air traffic controllers lost contact when the plane was approximately 13 miles west of Andros.
Authorities have not officially identified the four people aboard the aircraft.
However, family members identified them as Mario Lamar, 80; his wife, Lili Lamar, 79; and their grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22.
The family said the four had spent the weekend at a second home in Great Harbour Cay and were returning to South Florida when the aircraft disappeared.
“Mario Lamar, an experienced pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience, was piloting the aircraft with his wife, Lili, and grandchildren, Christian and Sofi, on board,” the family said in a statement.
According to the statement, the aircraft took off from Great Harbour Cay at approximately 10:12 a.m. and was bound for Miami Executive Airport. Its last recorded contact occurred around 11:04 a.m. near the western side of Andros Island.
The family subsequently contacted authorities and is asking people in the Bahamas to report anything they may see in the ocean that could assist search teams.
Search efforts were launched following the report, although officials said U.S. Coast Guard operations were temporarily postponed because of inclement weather.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the aircraft crashed, and efforts to locate the plane and its occupants remain underway.
