Pilot Dumps Aircraft Off Florida Coast; All 11 Passengers Rescued After Engine Failure

A pilot and 10 passengers were rescued after their aircraft suffered dual engine failure and was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 289km north of Miami. The flight, originating from Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas, was en route to Freeport, Grand Bahama, when the incident occurred.

Pilot Ian Nixon reported that the navigation system and radio failed, followed by both engines, during what should have been a 20-minute flight. Unable to contact air traffic control, Mr Nixon executed a controlled water landing, a manoeuvre of last resort, into the ocean.

Following the ditching, the 11 individuals spent approximately five hours in a life raft before being located by a US Air Force 920th Rescue Wing helicopter. The rescue unit, on a training mission, was diverted after an emergency locator transmitter signal alerted the US Coast Guard to the distress situation.

All 11 individuals were subsequently transported to a hospital in Florida. Three passengers sustained minor injuries. Major Elizabeth Piowaty, an aircraft commander involved in the rescue, described the survival of all on board as "pretty miraculous." Bahamian authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.