Beloved musicians among victims in deadly Bahamas plane crash; aviation authority grounds flights

close Video Plane crash kills 10 as island nation suspends local airline Ten people were confirmed dead following a Bahamas" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="163614" data-entity-type="event">plane crash in Bahamas" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="163610" data-entity-type="location">North Andros, Bahamas, as Bahamian authorities launched safety investigations into two aviation incidents in one day. (Credit: Our News Bahamas via AP) NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 2 Min A devastating double-aviation crisis in the Bahamas, including a deadly North Andros plane crash and a separate aircraft fire on Friday, prompted the government to suspend flight operations for a local airline and launch a federal safety probe. Shortly after 1 p.m. local time Friday, a Cessna 402 aircraft with Bahamian registration departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau bound for San Andros Airport. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the plane "encountered difficulties" and crashed into bushes prior to landing. MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A 'DEVASTATING LOSS,' COMPANY SAYS Authorities said 10 people were killed in a Bahamas plane crash on Friday. (Our News Bahamas via AP) First responders, including the Bahamas-police-force" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="102225" data-entity-type="organization">Royal Bahamas Police Force, Airport Authority and emergency medical personnel, rushed to the dense brush where the aircraft went down. The Bahamas-musicians-and-entertainers-union" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="163611" data-entity-type="organization">Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed in a statement Saturday that 10 people died in the crash, including prominent members of the "The Pond Band" and a local DJ, whose artistry the union said "touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas." Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said a sole survivor was pulled from the wreckage. "Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief," Davis wrote in a statement on X. "We are also praying for the survivor, whose recovery and care will remain in our thoughts." EIGHT BELIEVED DEAD AFTER B-52 CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE The identities of those killed in the crash have not yet been released. While the AAIA's preliminary reports initially indicated seven people were on board, officials are still establishing the facts of the flight manifest. Just hours before the fatal crash in North Andros, a Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana was forced to turn back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MoET). After the aircraft landed and passengers safely deplaned, the plane caught fire on the runway. FORMER NFL QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III DESCRIBES HARROWING ENGINE FIRE ON UNITED FLIGHT FILE - The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas temporarily suspended Flamingo Air's Air Operator Certificate following two aircraft incidents Friday. (iStock) Following the two back-to-back safety incidents, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) temporarily suspended Flamingo Air's Air Operator Certificate, according to MoET officials. "The suspension is a precautionary safety measure and should not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air," the agency wrote in a statement. FILE - The plane crashed in North Andros on Friday after taking off from Lynden Pindling International Airport. (Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Investigators from the AAIA and inspectors from the CAAB remain at the scene in North Andros as they work to determine what caused the Cessna 402 tragedy. Flamingo Air did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital Editor, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation. She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.