The Bahamas' Independence Day celebrations turned to tragedy on Friday after a Flamingo Air Cessna 402C crashed while approaching San Andros Airport, killing all ten people on board after the sole initial survivor later succumbed to severe injuries.

The aircraft, registered C6-FLX, had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau at 12:31 local on a scheduled domestic flight to San Andros Airport. Seventeen minutes later, as it approached Runway 12, the aircraft crashed into a wooded area near the airport before being engulfed by a post-impact fire.

The aircraft, manufactured in 1980, carrying one pilot and nine passengers was destroyed upon impact. The pilot has been identified as Franklyn Cambridge.

National mourning

Prime Minister Philip Davis described what should have been a day of national celebration as instead becoming "a day of mourning".

"We gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow. To every family that has received the devastating news that someone they love will not be coming home, we offer our deepest condolences."

The Prime Minister initially confirmed that one occupant had survived the crash before later announcing that the individual had died from their injuries, bringing the death toll to ten.

Band loses five members

Among those killed were five members of the Bahamian music group Da Pond Band.

Singer Lamar Polhamus announced the devastating loss in a Facebook post.

"Da Pond Band is mourning a devastating blow not only to us but the entire country. This recovery will be long and rough. We can only ask for some space, time, support and prayers."

The deaths have prompted an outpouring of grief across the Bahamas, with tributes being paid nationwide.

Licence suspended

In the aftermath of the accident, the Bahamian Government suspended Flamingo Air's Air Operator Certificate (AOC) as a precautionary measure.

Officials stressed that the suspension does not represent a finding of fault but was prompted by two separate safety incidents involving the airline on the same day.

Earlier on Friday, another Flamingo Air aircraft safely returned to Nassau after the pilot reported a technical problem. Although all passengers disembarked safely, that aircraft subsequently caught fire after landing.

The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation said the combination of the two incidents warranted the immediate suspension of the airline's operations while inspectors and investigators assess its safety procedures.

Flamingo Air Company Limited operates scheduled inter-island passenger services, private charter flights, cargo and freight operations, as well as selected charter flights to South Florida.

Investigation underway

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) is leading the investigation into the crash, while civil aviation regulators will determine when, or if, Flamingo Air will be permitted to resume commercial operations.

Preliminary radar data indicates the aircraft was flying a stable base leg into San Andros Airport before turning left onto final approach shortly before 12:45.

Data indicates the aircraft's groundspeed reduced to below 76 knots at approximately 800 feet, and continued to decrease while descending through 600 feet, before increasing sharply immediately prior to impact.

While such a flight profile may be consistent with an aerodynamic stall during the final approach, investigators have emphasised that it is far too early to determine the cause of the accident. The official findings will be established by the Bahamian accident investigation.

Deadliest crash in decades

The accident is the deadliest aviation disaster in the Bahamas since 1980, when Florida Commuter Airlines Flight 65 crashed, claiming numerous lives.

The latest tragedy has cast a shadow over the nation's Independence Day, replacing celebrations with mourning as investigators begin the painstaking task of determining exactly what caused the loss of the aircraft and everyone on board.