MAYAGUANA - AN emergency evacuation flight turned deadly this morning when the plane chartered to pick up the ailing individual crashed into a vehicle near the runway, killing three people, the Minister of Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin revealed.
3.29pm: Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Transport and Aviation, has released the following statement:
“I wish to provide an update to my previous statement on the status of the investigation of this tragic incident.
“As previously communicated, an investigative team comprising members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the Air Accident Prevention and Investigation Unit (AAPIU) of the Civil Aviation Department traveled to Mayaguana at 5 a.m. this morning. At this moment that team is on the ground at the airport in Mayaguana conducting an investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic accident. In pursuance of this, witnesses are being interviewed and photographic and other pieces of evidence are being collected. I expect to travel to Mayaguana within the hour with the Member of Parliament for MICAL, Hon V. Alfred Gray.
“The Bahamas Government is committed to ensuring that emergency capacity is installed in all airports nationwide. As a result of this commitment and under my tenure as Transport Minister between 2002 and 2007, solar powered emergency runway lights were installed at seventeen Family Island airports. This policy initiative eliminated the need for the use of high beam headlights from vehicles to illuminate Family Island airport runways in emergency situations.
“The Mayaguana Airport is the subject of a Heads of Agreement with the I Group, a foreign development group which under that agreement were obliged to rehabilitate the airport inclusive of lights and runway resurfacing. That agreement was reviewed by the previous administration for several years and it was only until February 2012 that a revised agreement was finalized between the former Government and the I Group.
“As a result of this terrible turn of event the Ministry of Transport is now intervening to procure the immediate installation of emergency lights in Mayaguana and will thereafter install lights in Fresh Creek Andros and Stella Maris, Long Island.”
12:03pm: The three victims of this morning's crash have been identified as the relatives of former MICAL MP Sidney Collie. The deceased persons are his mother, Edith, his sister, Enamay and her Canadian husband Tim Polowick
11.36am: Civil Aviation has shut down the airport in Mayaguana.
Officers from Civil Aviation and officials from the Royal Bahamas Police Force are on the island beginning their investigation into the crash. Reportedly the MP for the area, V Alfred Gray, along with officials from the Ministry of Aviation are awaiting the airport's reopening before they can fly in.
11.26am: There has been no update on the condition of Reverand Robert Black, who was scheduled to be airlifted this morning by LeAir to the capital. According to residents in Mayaguana, another flight has been arranged from Inagaua to carry Mr Black sometime this evening.
MAYAGUANA - AN emergency evacuation flight turned deadly this morning when the plane chartered to pick up an ailing individual crashed into a vehicle near the island's runway, killing three people, Minister of Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin revealed.
A press release sent by Ms. Hanna-Martin said the three people killed were all inside the vehicle parked near the runway.
Two people were aboard the LeAir charter plane that impacted with the vehicle, however, it is not yet known whether they were injured during the incident.
It is also not known what happened to the person who was awaiting the emergency flight.
The minister's report revealed that two vehicles had "strategically" lined Mayaguana's unlit runway at about 12:30am in order to illuminate the "usable portion" in preparation for the plane's landing.
Consequently, the plane crashed into one of the vehicles lighting the runway.
According to Ms. Hanna-Martin's report, an investigation will be carried out by the Department of Civil Aviation.
The Tribune will issue more information as it becomes available.
Here is Ms. Hanna Martin's full statement:
In the early hours of this morning I was informed of an aviation accident in Mayaguana resulting in the tragic death of 3 people. I am advised that all 3 persons are residents of the island of Mayaguana.
A preliminary report from the Department of Civil Aviation says that on 4th April, 2013 at approximately 12:30 a.m. a Cessna C402 owned by Leair Charter Service Limited with a crew of 2 on board was making a landing at night for an emergency evacuation flight with two vehicles strategically placed to outline the useable portion of the runway. It is reported that the aircraft made contact with one of the vehicles resulting in the deaths of the 3 passengers in that vehicle.
An investigative team comprising the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Air Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit of the Department of Civil Aviation will fly into Mayaguana at 5 a.m. this morning.
I wish to assure that a full investigation will be carried out by the Department of Civil Aviation into the causes and circumstances surrounding this terrible event. I will report further as information permits. Out of respect for the families, the names of the persons killed will not be disclosed until an official release is made by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of these beloved persons and to the wider community of Mayaguana who share in this loss.
Comments
paul_vincent_zecchino 11 years ago
Any word on the ailing person which the plane was to transport?
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Isn't this the runway that was supposed to have been upgraded 6 years ago in a project that was scrapped by the government after the 2007 election? IIRC, it's one of the longest runways in the country, but much of it is no longer usable.
I have also heard that one or more of the people killed are relatives of Sidney Collie and V. Alfred Grey. That would not be surprising given the small size of the community there.
My condolences to the families. This is a real tragedy.
islander242 11 years ago
So how about the poor man that needed this rescue flight? Would like to know the status of his condition.
Unproud242 11 years ago
Isn't it a disgrace that a country celebrating 40 years is still requiring that family islanders carry out this obviously dangerous practice. Why aren't these airports set up for emergencies in the first place. Condolences to the family/families of those lost.
proudloudandfnm 11 years ago
Well I think we found a project that is way more important than a new parliment building. Light every runway in our country please!
jackbnimble 11 years ago
I couldn't agree more. This was my first thought. Why is our Government proposing a new Parlamentary complex costing millions of dollars when we still have Family Islanders that are living in primitivie conditions? Surely lighting the runway of an airport is a far more pressing issue. The fact that the island is far away is no excuse. My condolences to the families of those who were affected.
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
There shouldn't HAVE to be an either-or here. Both of these things are infrastructural upgrades, and one would like to think that both have benefits. Unfortunately there are too many who feel that an upgrade that overtly impacts the major population centre should exclude upgrades to smaller population areas. So nothing gets done in the Family Islands, when it is entirely possible to do both, if we would only change our mindset.
IloveBahamas 11 years ago
My heart is crying as this is a crying shame. We as a country/government need to learn to be proactive rather than reactive. This accident should never have happened in this day and age. The government can find money to fund useless referendums but cant even put light up on a runway? My heart goes out the the people of Mayaguana and the loved ones of those lost!
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Just fyi... the original project to re-light this particular runway, along with numerous other airport improvement projects, was stopped under the previous government [i.e. Hubert Ingraham's FNM]. The current government had just restarted the project.
pilgrimagerock 11 years ago
Both the PLP and the FNM administrations are responsible for this sad saga. Except for Exuma, Bimini, Eleuthera and Abaco, Mayaguana airport was NOT a top priority under Pindling, Ingraham, Christie, Ingraham now Christie.
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Read the statement above by the transportation minister. If the prior government had not tried to hold Mayaguana residents hostage to the political process, the I-Group would have upgraded this airport as much as 5 years ago. I don't think the PLP can be held at fault here. The facts are that while the prior administration [Christie] worked consistently to upgrade infrastructure in the Family Islands, the 2007 Ingraham administration for all intents and purposes abandoned such upgrades.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE ,,THE I GROUP HAD DONE VERY LITTLE AND NOT LIVED UP TO THE ORIGINAL DEAL ...THE RECESSION HIT AND THEY WERE DOING NOTHING ,,I REPEAT NOTHING !!! HAI RE DID THE DEAL TO TRY AND GET IT GOING AND KEEP OUR WATERFRONT ,,IT IS THE GOVERMENTS RESPONSIBILITY NOT A DEVELOPERS .../PLP KNEW THERE WERE NO LIGHTS / HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING BLAME EVERY DEATH ON THE LAST GOV ,,,2 PEOPLE SHOT DEAD IN NASSAU ,IS THAT HAI TOO ..
pilgrimagerock 11 years ago
WELL SAID!
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Yes I have been there.
You are right. It IS the government's responsibility. The FNM was the government for 15 of the last 20 years. So why didn't the FNM put in the lights during their three tenures? Every argument you have made against the PLP can be used in triplicate against the FNM.
And one final time [for the record] I am not blaming the deaths on the ANY government. A simple case in point - why were the people sitting in the trucks? Why didn't they get out when they heard the plane approach? They had to know it was dangerous to remain. My point is that there is a certain element of free will in almost every instance that influences outcomes. This situation is not as simple as "blame the government".
This isn't about blame; it's about getting the facts straight. It's about making people realize that procrastination can have unexpected consequences.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
THE I GROUP HAD STARTED A MONTH OR TWO AGO AND THEN STOPPED AGAIN ,,,WHO HAS BEEN THE GOVERMENT FOR 11 MONTHS ????????????????????????????????????
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
If we want to talk about "wasted" spending, let's talk about cost overruns on road improvement projects on New Providence under the last government [to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars] while improvement projects for Family Islands were scrapped or back-burnered. There is an unfortunate attitude amongst Nassuvians that Nassau "is" The Bahamas, at least when it comes to spending.
BoopaDoop 11 years ago
Nassau carries most of the votes so Nassau gets more attention.
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
This is true, but does not make it any more right.... :o/
There shouldn't be a City vs. Country attitude. It's not like we have millions of people to lose in preventable tragedies. That thing about "all o' we is one family" is still remarkably true, despite the fact that many Nassuvians have left their "country / island" roots behind them.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
DON,T DRIVE ON THE ROADS ,,THE PLP IS THE GOV NOW ,THEY HAVE BEEN FOR A YEAR/
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Also FYI, this runway was originally built during WW2, and at one time was the longest in the Bahamas. It was not maintained after the US base there closed, but there were lights from that era still on the runway. Unfortunately the current upgrading activity, which is supposed to re-open the full length of the runway, will come too late to save these three residents' lives...
B_I_D___ 11 years ago
So I am not trying to downplay this tragedy at all, it is truly tragic...BUT my question is this. The person being airlifted in less than ideal conditions from an unlit airport not only survived the crash, but is now able to be relocated to Inagua, presumably by boat and fly out later today. Was his situation that dire that it required this high risk transport?Maybe a 7am landing and departure may have been more prudent. My sympathies go out to all involved.
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Obviously at the time it was felt that it WAS sufficiently necessary. Given the current circumstances, I suppose it now seems less so. AFAIK, the plane was landing rather than taking off, so I don't think Mr. Black was directly involved in the crash. IMO Robert Black is lucky to be alive. Aside from the prior health issues, the shock of losing 3 relatives in such a tragic manner is life-threatening.
Unproud242 11 years ago
An emergency is just that, an emergency. Do Nassuvians wait until daylight to go to the ER? In life or death situations, being on these islands, could mean that a patient might not live until 7 am unless airlifted. It saddens me to know how insensitive and clueless Bahamians in New Providence are to life on family islands. When people in the major cities start waiting until daybreak to experience emergencies then, and only then, can we dictate to family islanders when to get sick or hurt to that extreme. Not trying to attack you but not sure if your statement was properly thought through.
lazybor 11 years ago
terrible but not unexpected
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Ironvelvet 11 years ago
Not by any means do I want to decrease the tragedy of those that died. May they rest in the arms of Jesus and eternally bask in the light of God's promise.
Realistically, the Bahamas does not have the financial means to upgrade each and every island at the pace that we all would like. What has to be kept in mind is that the Bahamas' number 1 industry is tourism, if you want to keep the money rolling in, you have to maintain a product. Like it or not Nassau, Abaco, and Grand Bahama (in that order) are the main drivers of the tourism product and they also have the most inhabitants.
Let's be fair, the family islands were and would have continued to be a top priority for the Ingraham administration just as all other administrations as evidenced by the upgrade to Abaco with the airport and hospital there, as well as in Grand Bahama. Let's not forget that it was Ingraham that brought dependable electricity to the family islands so the people could turn on and off a light switch in his 1992 administration. It was not until the 1990sss!!! that the family island could store away their oil lamps.
Bahamians are exposed to a 1st world lifestyle, expect to live on a 1st world status, but do not have the financial capacity to do so.
While unfortunate these deaths in my opinion are not the fault of the government, but of unfortunate traumatic circumstance. Do I think we can do better, always, but do not say that it is negligence on the government's part, that is an unfair indefendable position. I don't know the population of Mayaguana, but population numbers and need go hand in hand when money is tight. Its a hard sell to say that Abaco doesn't need a better hospital to give Mayaguana a better airstrip.
I want to REITERATE that my commentary is not to take away from the tragedy and grief caused, but this is a harsh reality check to those that want to cast blame that is only natural to do when faced with such grief.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
the hospital in Exuma is nearly finished and the dock work will be finished for regatta ,,projects from the FNM in a PLP stronghold ,hasn,t Mayaguana always voted PLP ? To try to blame this tragedy on the FNM is just plain old wickedness ,,,,,,,,,,I like MP Hanna and thought better of her ..
Ironvelvet 11 years ago
Exactly!
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Mayaguana is an FNM stronghold.
Again, the facts are that the I-Group project which would have addressed this airport's problem in 2007 was "reviewed" by the FNM government for almost 5 years.... until just before the recent election, when it was suddenly considered "ok" to go ahead. PM Ingraham went to Mayaguana and told the people they didn't need any airport upgrades,... and the people the people clapped. I'm not talking what I "hear"; I'm talking what I know.
MP Hanna is only stating what happened. Any blame imputed is just that - imputed.
I find the person to whom you responded perhaps the most realistic voice amongst those commenting here. Each successive government has done its part to improve the lives of Bahamians. Blaming the PLP for developing infrastructure at a reasonable pace between 1970 and 1990 is not historically accurate. When you consider that in 1967 there were still parts of NEW PROVIDENCE which had not been electrified, much less the remotest islands like Mayaguana, you begin to realize the sheer progress we have made. When the FNM took power in 1992, they met electrification plans on the drawing board. They carried them forward, and extended other infrastructural gains to the remote islands. Even the much-maligned road projects of the last 10 years are realizations of projections made up to 50 years ago. But if you are not aware of the reality of our history, it's easy to run around "blaming" the party you don't like.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
when is the last time Mayaguana ,,i reapeat the I GROUP ,did very little while the PLP was in power ,then the recession hit and they did absolutey NOTHING !!!the deal was dead .The I GROUP started again a couple of months ago then stopped ..Mayaguana is an FNM stronghold ??? since independance the PLP has been in power 31 yrs the FNM 15 ..name any big PLP infacstructure project ,after from those ghastly goverment buildings ,schools with no windows and that ugly a## post office ..now you going tell me foriegners ,the I group ,are responsible for our safty ..using hyberbole doesn,t make things fact ..
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
The government CHANGED in 2007.... historical fact. The I group began working less than 6 months before the election. After that, the GOVERNMENT put their project on hold. The recession didn't take hold until the following year. It's not logical to say the I Group "did nothing" when they had no other choice.
As for the other points you raise, if you are looking for "big infrastructure projects", are you only accepting ones that you find beautiful enough? How big is big? Do you realize that the vast majority of schools built throughout this country were built during the PLP's first stint? Government clinics? Do they count? What about roads, docks, bridges? What about the extension of electricity and telephone service? Do they count? The establishment of ZNS television? Expansion of the public library system? Development of Yellow Elder and Elizabeth Estates?
The facts are out there. Avail yourself of them.
Even the comment about Mayaguana being an FNM stronghold can be substantiated by referring to the polling returns for the last 4-5 general elections.
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
Infrastructural development has been the catch-22 of The Bahamas. Without it, remote areas like Mayaguana and Crooked Island cannot hope for sustained growth in the local economy. However, the struggling economy on these islands is one reason why residents leave for the "big city", which makes it easier and easier for our centralized government to see them as a low priority.
I don't think the Family Islands were particularly top priority for Ingraham's government. I think they had a pretty basic approach, which was to invest where they felt they would get the strongest economic return. Hence developments in Abaco, Grand Bahama and Exuma were given top priority, but other Family Islands had to wait. [When one considers some of the economic challenges seen globally during this period, one cannot be surprised at this conservative approach.]
My argument all along has been that it SHOULDN'T be an either-or proposition. We as a country have some unique challenges to face, especially geographically, that cannot be effectively addressed using the traditional methods. We need to develop new approaches that allow each island its best opportunity at economic success, WITHOUT hindering the forward motion of others. For me this means a certain autonomy at the local government level to decide which projects are most needful and to prioritize how they will be handled. But it also means that the central government needs to be more sensitive to the needs of rural communities and more creative in its approaches to the redistribution of revenues.
I agree with you; casting blame may salve the emotional wounds of the community, but in the long run it does not solve problems. I applaud Minister Hanna's decision to move the airport upgrade projects forward, and I like the economic efficacy behind solar-powered lights for these remote runways. I'm only hoping it doesn't take further tragedies of this type to motivate creative, cost-effective and timely infrastructural improvements throughout the Family Islands. One is more than enough.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
NAME 2 BIG INFASTRUCTURE PROJECTS UNDER TAKING BY THE PLP IN THEIR 30 YRS OF POWER, AND DON,T GIVE ME ,THOSE OBSOLETE UGLY BUILDINGS LIKE THE RODNEY BAIN BUILDING
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
It would be great if you turned your caps off. There's a key on the computer that says CAPS LOCK. Press it one time.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
i know where the button is ,i have vision problems and can see the caps better ,,
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
DON,T TRY TO BE UN BIASED NOW ,YOU JUMPED HOOK ,LINE AND SINKER TO BLAME HAI FOR THE DEATHS ,,,MY MY WHY WOULD WE WANT TO GO INTO A JOINT VENTURE W/ A FORIEGN FIRM AND PUT UP HALF THE MONEY TO BUILD A RESORT IN OUR COUNTRY ,AND WHERE WERE WE GOING TO FIND HALF OF 1.8 BILLION ...UNDER THE PLP AND FNM IN 7 YEARS THE I GROUP HAS BUILT 1/8 OF A STEEL LOOKING BUTLER BUILDING ,,THEY COULD HAVE SPENT 10,000 TO LIGHT THE RUN WAY ,,DID THEY ?? HOW CRASS TO BLAME THESE DEATHS ON A PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION ..TONIGHT IS FRIDAY ,THERE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE 2 TO 4 MURDERS IN NASSAU THIS WEEKEND ,,IS THAT THE FNM TOO ...
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
One more time. Get the FACTS. The I-Group project had as its first stage the revitalization of the Mayaguana airport, which would have been completed by the end of 2007. After the 2007 elections, the FNM stopped the project, then spent the next 4+ years reviewing it. The project is only now going forward after the recent elections of 2012. It is ridiculously fallacious to accuse the I Group of not building under the FNM administration what the FNM categorically prohibited them from building.
Again, I have not blamed anyone for these deaths. The facts are not biased; they're just there.
And why commit the logical fallacy of your last statement / rhetorical question? It contributes nothing to the discussion and is merely leading.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
oone more time ,have you been there ,,the I group did absolutly nothing and the FNM tried to get the project scaled down and going ,,one more time why do we have to jiont partner w/ any invester and where were we going to find half of 1.8 billion ,,one more time to date the i GROUP has done very little ,,its about like the Ginn project ,,
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
the plp is blaming the FNM for these deaths ,they also put up billboards w/ the murder count ,,,,this is there watch now ,the plp , so by their logic we can blame the murders from may 7th 2012 on the plp ..is V ALFRED GREY the MP for Mayaguana ,if so for how long as he been MP , Has he been pounding the table for lights on the runway in the house . i understand this is an emotional issue ,but how crass of the PLP to immediatly turn it political ,but hey they put up bill boards all over town with the murder count ...
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
fact the fnm never stopped the project ,,NEVER ,,it was going nowhere then they step in to try and get it going ,,how utterly crass of the PLP ,one day after the tragedy to make it political ,,,
leeza 11 years ago
I dont blame the Governement I blame the people yes we the people who have elected these people to ensure that our concerns are dealt with in a timely manner, We allow the MP's they make promises that never intended fufil, and never address the community concerns. We are so busy looking at party colors that we refuse to come together so all can benefit and not the one here or there. These men and women are allowed to get away with doing the bare mininal to absolutely nothing. When I heard Alfred Gray talk about it was the FNM'S fault I thought that was so distasteful, oh so untimely totally irrevelant. People are grievingthe whole communities in shock over the tragedy. We can deman certain things of these people and its high time we come together and do that this, it is the only way they will see we een playin wit dem be ye PLP or FNM to get them to address the needs and concerns of our communities especially the out Islands.
NewsWorthy 11 years ago
I agree with the comment about blaming the people if anyone is to be blamed. I think we surrender our power to the politicians and do not sufficiently hold their feet to the fire when it comes to issues that really matter. MP Hanna has pledged to see that this issue of unlighted runways on other islands is addressed. Are we going to do our jobs as citizens, or are we going to spend all our energies hitting out at our political enemies? This is a time for discussion, not backbiting.
On the subject of V. Alfred Grey's comments, keep in mind that Mr. Grey is speaking from the perspective of a grieving loved one. Unlike many of our other representatives, Mr. Grey knew the deceased people personally. He visited their homes, ate with them, considered them friends, as parts of the small, close-knit community. He is actually a member of that shocked, grieving community of which you speak. While it may seem distasteful to those on the outside looking in, it's neither untimely or irrelevant. Unfortunately, there's a lot of "blaming" going on right now. And realistically it's a very human reaction to the loss of loved ones this way. The anger is real, potent, and often crudely expressed...
In the end, what matters is insisting that changes are made so this kind of thing can't happen again.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
my goodness ,,you are the one pushing party rhetoric ,then when people disagree you say we have to come togeather as people ,,lmfao ,,your previous "blame the FNM comments have not vanished from the post ..lol fyi read your own comments....please enlighten me to where our goverment was going to find half of 1.8 billion to partner w/ the i group ..another pie in the sky speculative venture like the Ginn project ,,the 1.8 billion figure is over 20 yrs if every unit sells ,,they build a club house then sell lots ,,if no lots sell the project is over ,,can you say Ginn ,wasn,t that 2 billion
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
fact the fnm did not stop the project ,,,nothing was being done ,,it was dead in the water ,,another speculative project like the Ginn group ,,build a club house and sell lots ,,let me know when the I group does anything more than a clubhouse and some forsale signs and brochures ..
TheObjectiveVoice 11 years ago
I can't believe you people. Can we leave politics out of this and just get the airport fixed as soon as possible, for once? This incident is extremely unfortunate and it's obvious that there was some negligence on the part of THE BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT - period - regardless of whose party was in power and when. Mayaguana is not an island that just miraculously appeared out of the ocean five, ten, fifteen or twenty years ago. It was always there and that airport has been there since the Second World War. Why do we always have to put politics in everything? Politicians for far too long have been pushing back projects began by previous governments even if they make sense, just because it wasn't their idea first. Their main duty should always to govern, enact laws and policies, and develop our nation for the benefit of the people who placed them in office. I don't care who came up with a great idea if it will make a positive impact in the lives of the people... just do it. It's time to stop all of this nonsense. The crash wasn't a PLP nor an FNM thing... the Bahamas governmentsss unfortunately dropped the ball on this one. I grieve today for the Collie family and the community of Mayaguana and can't realyy imagine the extent of their pain and anguish but my prayers are with them. Time to move forward and fix the problem and begin the healing process. We can't go back into yesterday and fix all the wrong that we've done, but today and tomorrow always give us a chance to forgive and be forgiven. Healing must begin somewhere.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
how extemely crass of the the PLP ,the PM ,MRS HANNA AND MP GREY ,TO BLAME IT ON THE FNM ,,,,before these three even offered condolances they directed blame ,,not us the public ,,the governing party brought politics into it ,,Ginn / I group same thing ,,build a club house ..sell ;llots ,,,sales dry up ,,project done ,,
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