A Look Back at Flamingo Air’s History of Incidents

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SAN ANDROS, BAHAMAS – Friday’s deadly crash near San Andros Airport marked the darkest day in Flamingo Air’s history.

The Cessna 402 aircraft, piloted by Franklyn Cambridge, went down just before landing, killing all ten people on board, and turning what should have been a day of independence celebration, into a national day of mourning.

In the hours that followed, the government temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate, describing the move as a precautionary step after two separate aviation safety incidents occurred on the same day.

Just hours before the fatal crash, another Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana was forced to return to Nassau after the pilot reported an issue.

Passengers safely evacuated the aircraft, but Aviation Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis said the plane caught fire after everyone had disembarked.

While Friday’s tragedy is the first fatal accident in the airline’s history, it is far from the first safety incident.

In October 2023, a Flamingo Air flight returned safely to Lynden Pindling International Airport after a passenger door opened during flight while en route to Staniel Cay. That video went viral.

The airline said at the time that passenger safety was never compromised, and that it disciplined the employee responsible, and introduced refresher training for staff.

Four years earlier in December 2019, a Flamingo Air aircraft veered off the runway at Black Point, Exuma after its right main landing gear collapsed during landing.

The plane ended up in nearby bushes, but all 14 people on board escaped without injury.

In June 2020, another Flamingo Air aircraft experienced a landing incident at Lynden Pindling International Airport, with passengers again disembarking safely.

Then in 2016, a flight was involved in a crash landing at South Bimini, also without serious injuries.

Despite those incidents, Flamingo Air continued to expand its network, adding service to family island communities including Rock Sound, Eleuthera, and Farmer’s Cay, Exuma, often filling gaps in inter-island air travel.

Now, with its operating certificate suspended, the airline’s future remains uncertain.

Investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas, and other aviation partners are working to determine what caused Friday’s crash.

Until those findings are complete, officials continue to urge the public not to speculate, as the country waits for answers.