The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

POLICE have confirmed the American citizen killed when his small plane crashed on the island of Eleuthera as 88-year-old Coy Lee Austin.

Mr Austin is a former US military pilot and a native of Texas.

According to authorities, Mr Austin was the only one aboard his Cessna 310 aircraft when, around 8:30am on Friday he attempted to land his plane at the Governor’s Harbour Airport, but was having difficulties because of bad weather.

Branishka Evans, an Eleuthera resident who knew Mr Austin for over a decade, said the pilot was a “very humble” gentleman who “didn’t deserve to go that way.”

“He was a hell of a gentleman,” she told The Tribune. “He was very nice. Very passive. Always accommodating. I’ve known him for about 10 years now or so. We got closer when he would go to fly over and sometimes he would bring items back for me. Friday was a shocker for me. I’m still trying to come to grips with that. I still don’t believe it.

“He was always the same person every time you saw him,” she added. “He always had a smile and always had the same attitude each time. It’s really sad. It’s heart wrenching.”

Prior to the crash, the control tower redirected Mr Austin to an airstrip at the island’s northern tip. Officer in charge of the Central Detective Unit Superintendent Paul Rolle told the Associated Press there was heavy rain, strong winds and poor visibility, causing the control tower to lose contact with the pilot shortly after redirecting him.

Later, around 4:30pm, a resident of James Cistern saw Mr Austin’s body on the shoreline strapped to an aircraft seat.

Police said Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, where he was pronounced dead by a local doctor.

Mr Austin’s body was flown to New Providence on Friday night. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death, police said.

The Bahamas Flight Standard Inspectorate will also conduct a separate investigation.

The Eleutheran newspaper has raised concerns voiced by residents on the island of exactly what took place after the control tower lost contact with the plane.

According to the newspaper, sources on the island said Eleuthera police were made aware of the situation when the man’s body washed up at the beach, nearly eight hours after his landing attempt at Governor’s Harbour.

Mr Austin owned a second

home on Eleuthera and had lived on the island part time for many years.