All ten people aboard a small plane that crashed Tuesday in Bahamian waters off Florida’s coast were rescued, authorities in the Bahamas and the United States said. The pilot declared an emergency before losing contact with air traffic controllers, prompting a joint search-and-rescue effort.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Beechcraft 300 King Air turboprop went down about 50 miles east of Vero Beach Regional Airport at approximately 12:05 p.m. The flight had taken off from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas earlier in the day and was headed to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport, also in the Bahamas.
The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched a C-27 aircraft to locate the downed plane. Once found, the ten passengers were transported for medical evaluations, the Coast Guard said. The Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority confirmed that the pilot had declared an emergency before communication was lost, and multiple Bahamian agencies joined the operation.
The cause of the crash has not been determined. The FAA said it will investigate.