Cessna 402 Crash in Bahamas Kills 10, Including Musicians and DJ

A Cessna 402 operated by Flamingo Air crashed in North Andros, Bahamas, on Friday, July 11, 2026, killing all 10 people on board. The aircraft departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau at approximately 1 p.m. local time, bound for San Andros Airport, when it encountered difficulties and crashed into dense brush shortly before landing. Among the dead were five members of The Pond Band and DJ Fresh, confirmed by the Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union in a statement Saturday. Nine men and one woman perished in the crash, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The plane was engulfed in flames when first responders arrived at the scene.

The crash occurred on July 11, 2026, the same day the Bahamas celebrated its 53rd independence anniversary, transforming the national holiday into a day of mourning. Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis initially reported that one survivor had been pulled from the wreckage, but later confirmed the person died from their injuries. "We gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow," Davis said in a news conference. "It has become a day of mourning."

The crash was preceded by a separate safety incident hours earlier on the same day. A Flamingo Air plane en route to Mayaguana turned back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern. After passengers safely deplaned, the aircraft caught fire on the runway. Both incidents prompted the government to take action: the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation temporarily suspended Flamingo Air's Air Operator Certificate as a precautionary safety measure while investigations proceed. The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority are investigating the causes of both the crash and the runway fire.