The Tribune

BY FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

INVESTIGATORS probing the Independence Day Andros plane crash that claimed 10 lives have recovered the wreckage and shipped the aircraft's engines and key components to the US for detailed forensic examination, with a preliminary report expected by August 10. 

In a statement, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said recovery operations at the crash site were completed between July 22 and 24 with assistance from Florida-based SouthEast Air Recovery. The recovered aircraft components, including both engines, have since arrived in the US.

According to the AAIA, the wreckage will be transported to a secure examination facility in Jacksonville, Florida, while the engines will undergo specialised analysis at the manufacturer's facilities in Mobile, Alabama. Investigators hope the examinations will help establish the sequence of events and identify any factors that contributed to the accident. 

The Cessna 402C, registration C6-FLX, crashed near San Andros Airport on July 10. All ten people aboard were killed after the aircraft, which investigators have said was configured for landing, struck trees before crashing about one nautical mile west of the runway. 

The tragedy prompted aviation regulators to suspend Flamingo Air's air operator certificate as a precautionary measure, a decision that later resulted in the airline furloughing 35 employees while commercial operations remain grounded.

The crash also renewed scrutiny of the carrier's safety record after it emerged that Flamingo Air aircraft had been involved in at least 14 publicly reported accidents and incidents over the previous two decades, many involving landing gear failures, runway excursions or emergency landings. 

The AAIA said the investigation remains in phase one, during which investigators are collecting, documenting and preserving evidence.

Once that work is complete, the investigation will move into phase tTwo, involving a comprehensive analysis of the wreckage examinations, operational records, maintenance documentation, meteorological information, witness statements and other evidence before investigators determine the probable cause of the crash.

 A final phase will focus on presenting the investigation's findings and any safety recommendations.

The investigation is being conducted in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 standards. An accredited representative from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is participating in the investigation, while technical advisers from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with representatives of the aircraft and engine manufacturers, are providing technical assistance. 

The AAIA said it intends to publish a preliminary report containing factual information available at that stage of the investigation on or before August 10.

A final report, including any safety recommendations aimed at improving aviation safety, is expected about 12 months after the accident, although investigators noted that timeline could be extended if additional investigative work is required. The authority emphasised that the purpose of the investigation is to identify safety deficiencies and prevent future accidents, not to assign blame or determine civil or criminal liability.