NASSAU, BAHAMAS – It was around 5PM Sunday evening when the alarm was first raised about a missing flight headed to Nassau from Exuma.
Then around 5:40PM, Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper confirmed air traffic controllers had lost contact with the aircraft.
Cooper, who’s also member of Parliament for Exuma, confirming the pilot, Captain Patterson Smith, was the only person on board.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority says that the plane with Bahamian administration C6-PAT had disappeared shortly after 3PM.
Independent flight radar tracking, shows the plane leaving Exuma before turning slightly and disappearing just south of the capital.
On Monday, National Security Minister, confirms a search has been mobilized.
Myles Laroda – Minister, National Security
“I spoke with miss Kimberly Furnish this morning and I’ll also [speak] with the coast guard local officer…we had a defense force vessel last night but the US Coast Guard offered their assistance in locating the plane, so hopefully that would be fruitful.”
That’s exactly just what we saw.
Independent radar tracking shows a Royal Bahamas Defence Force flight, combing the area, along with another private plane searching the area of the plane’s last known coordinates.
Those closest to Smith are also joining the search.
His son posted videos of him out on a speedboat searching the area.
Other boaters were encouraged to join in to help search the area of the last known coordinates.
Laroda also confirms that officials will continue to do everything they can.
Now, it’s still to early to say what led to the disappearance.
However, in the coming days, investigators will no doubt try to piece together what happened, as families and friends continue to cling to hope as they search for Smith.
