FREEPORT – Bad weather and failing light forced US Coast Guard and BASRA officials to call off an air and sea search for a small Bahamian-registered aircraft that is believed to have crashed in rough seas off Abaco on Friday afternoon.
According to police reports, a single engine Dragonfly aircraft with registration number N 50453 piloted by Bahamian James H Wells crashed around 1.O5pm in waters between Guana Cay and Scotland Cay on the oceanside.
However, the aircraft was not located up to press time on Friday evening, and the US Coast Guard only confirmed that a distress signal had been received.
Speaking with The Tribune at 6.30 last night, Guana Cay resident Randy Albury said “they found a transponder, but they did not find a plane or anyone.”
“We found it strange that a plane was not found because there is a transponder and EPUR on these planes and I find it strange that the transponder was not going off,” said Mr James Otton of Guana Fire Rescue.
“A lot of people have been out looking all about where they thought it went down,” Mr Albury said. “The Coast Guard has been here and a bunch of private planes, but nobody found anything as yet. This happened about two hours ago. It’s getting dark and I guess they will have to suspend their search.”
Another resident said he had heard that it was “an ultra-light plane, one of those put together planes”, but he did not know if this report was true. After 6 o’clock last night, The Tribune received word that due to eight to 12-foot seas and about 25-knot winds, the search had to be called off.
Supt Basil Rahming reported that Abaco police received information about the crash from officials at the Abaco Airport Crash Rescue shortly after 1pm on Friday.
The US Coast Guard Station in Miami also contacted police in Grand Bahama with reports of a plane crash off Abaco.
Mr Rahming said that search and rescue vessels have been unable to launch a surface search due to extremely rough conditions at sea.
However, it is reported that a group of Guana Cay residents set out in boats scouring the area for the plane after learning news of the crash.
An aircraft launched by BASRA Abaco and a US Coast Guard helicopter from AUTEC Base in Andros have been unable to locate the aircraft.
A Coast Guard official in Miami told The Tribune that they picked up an activated distress beacon, which is a requirement on all aircraft.
The Coast Guard helicopter search team had still not located the plane around 3.30pm on Friday after some two hours during its search three miles off Treasure Cay.
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
