Bahamian investigators joined US agencies yesterday to begin the methodical search for clues into what caused a Chalk’s Airways seaplane to break apart and fall into waters off Miami Beach, killing all 20 aboard and devastating the tiny island of Bimini.
Eleven of the passengers aboard the 58-year-old aircraft that was headed to Alice Town were from Bimini, and another was an American who lived in the close-knit community of about 1,800. Every member of the community has been touched by the tragedy, officials said.
Nineteen bodies had been recovered and one was still missing.
The field aspect of the investigation started at first light yesterday and once the badly mangled remains of the aircraft are raised, investigators will turn their attention to the wreckage and begin to question eyewitnesses, Randy Butler, an officer of the Flight Standards Inspectorate in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation told The Bahama Journal.
“Right now the team is looking at everything – the engine, the structure, maintenance, pilot records – everything that was done in relation to the operation of this aircraft will be looked at,” said Mr. Butler in a telephone interview from Miami.
He said that the investigation would obviously include an evaluation of the age of the aircraft, which has been pointed to repeatedly in news reports.
The NTSB has not ruled out any possible cause and is investigating all possibilities, including air traffic, weather problems and more.
Mr. Butler and another member of the unit are at the scene of the crash, working with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine exactly what caused Chalk’s Airways flight 101 to crash off Miami Beach.
Investigators did as much as they could on Tuesday, but the actual job of lifting the remains of the aircraft will fall to Air and Sea Recovery Inc., a contractor hired by Chalk’s, according to US news reports. It’s a delicate process because the wreckage could be fragile.
US news agencies also reported that the recovery could be delayed by weather around South Beach, which was deteriorating Tuesday afternoon. Swells were at four to six feet and could rise.
Some eyewitness reported hearing an explosion before the US-registered seaplane went down shortly after takeoff, around 2:30 p.m. on Monday and NTSB officials said that based on amateur video, the aircraft looked like it had fallen apart before hitting the water.
Up to Tuesday afternoon, investigators were still looking for the cockpit voice recorder, in hopes that it will contain clues about what caused the crash of the aircraft.
Mark Rosenker, acting NTSB chairman, told US reporters that a salvage team would attach balloons to the pieces of the Grumman G73 aircraft and try to lift them onto a barge.
Mr. Butler emphasised that the investigation process was very methodical, adding that he was unable to say how long it would take to find the cause behind the crash; however, NTSB officials predicted that it could take as long as nine months.
The officer said that the Bahamian team would remain in Miami to work alongside US investigators for as long as necessary.
Minister of Transport and Aviation, Glenys Hanna-Martin spoke with The Bahama Journal from Bimini on Tuesday and said that the Bahamian flight inspectors would be working closely with officials at the NTSB and FAA.
“We have dispatched two of our officers from the Flight Standards Inspectorate, one went (Monday) night and the other went (Tuesday) morning. The purpose of that is to coordinate with the two agencies so that we can find out what exactly happened,” Mrs. Hanna-Martin said.
Prime Minister Perry Christie and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell travelled to Bimini on Tuesday to join Mrs. Hanna-Martin and Minister of Tourism and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe, who travelled to the island immediately following the crash and spent the night there.
Bahamian government officials were expected to join relatives of the crash victims in Miami by Tuesday afternoon to discuss the status of the investigations and what the government could do to assist.
On Tuesday morning, family members of the victims had already met with officials from the NTSB to begin the process of identifying the victims and make arrangements to transport the bodies for burial.
It was unclear on Tuesday exactly how long it would take for the bodies to be released.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell reported that members of the American Red Cross were at the staging centre set up at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach and were providing chaplains and counselling and food for grieving relatives.
“The Bahamas government would want to know what the situation is with regard to how this accident unfolded and how it happened and what steps if any we need to take. This is a carrier that brings passengers to The Bahamas, largely to Paradise Island, to Bimini and to Walker’s Cay, so we need to know what the situation is,” Mr. Mitchell said.
The minister said that the Bahamian government had also been in touch with its lawyers in Washington in an effort to get advice on how to direct victims’ family members who may have been approached by lobbyists or lawyers.
“When people are the victims of these kinds of tragedies they end up becoming vulnerable to shysters, people who are lawyers and other people who are lobbyists, trying to say that they can represent them and take various steps on their behalf,” warned Mr. Mitchell.
He advised family members to be extremely cautious and careful before committing themselves to any aspect to some relief effort that is being offered on their behalf and to stick with officials connected to the case or a family attorney.
The twin-engine amphibious aircraft was powered by two Pratt and Whitney-Canada PT-6 engine turbine engines and is capable of operating from water as well as land-based airports.
The plane went down in Government Cut, a channel that cruise ships and freighters take past South Beach into the Port of Miami. The channel is up to 30 feet deep near the crash site, but parts of the aircraft could be seen in shallower areas.
Investigators are also reportedly looking into maintenance and flight records on all planes in the Chalk’s fleet and was planning to review the records of the two crew members, including determining what they had been doing during the 72 hours before the flight.
Chalk’s Ocean Airways was founded in 1919 by Arthur “Pappy” Chalk. The only other crash involving fatalities occurred March 18, 1994, when two pilots died after their seaplane crashed near Key West.
The Cabinet Office announced yesterday that with immediate effect and until further notice, all flags in The Bahamas should be flown at half-mast as a sign of official mourning for the Bahamians who lost their lives in the crash.
By: Erica Wells, The Bahama Journal
