A plane has vanished without a trace after plunging 7,000ft, with the US Coast Guard launching an urgent search and rescue mission.
A desperate search is under way in the Bahamas for four members of the same family after the light aircraft vanished from radar on Monday afternoon.
Pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, were aboard the PA-34 Piper aircraft, which departed Great Harbour Cay at roughly 11:12am local time bound for Miami.
Tracking data revealed the plane’s altitude plummeted from 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet within just three minutes, with its speed fluctuating erratically before the aircraft appeared to complete a loop and dropped off radar entirely.
Authorities reported the plane went down approximately 13 miles west of Andros Island at around 2:20pm on Monday, with air traffic control losing all contact shortly afterwards.
The group had been enjoying the Labour Day weekend on the island before Mr Lamar piloted them back in the private aircraft.
His relatives said the 80-year-old possessed more than four decades of flying experience and maintained his plane in impeccable condition, describing it as being kept in “pristine” order.
Concern first arose when a family group chat fell silent.
Relatives then checked the aircraft’s path on the FlightAware tracking website, where they discovered the alarming flight data showing the plane looping before its signal ceased.
The US Coast Guard confirmed it was providing support to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force after receiving a request for assistance at approximately 2pm on Monday.
An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft has been deployed to aid the search operation.
However, efforts to locate the downed plane and its occupants have so far proved fruitless. The Defence Force stated that its search had “yielded negative results.”
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Adverse weather conditions, which are believed to have contributed to the aircraft’s difficulties during the flight, have also significantly hindered rescue operations.
Bahamian police said they were coordinating efforts to find the plane, which they believe crash-landed in waters off the coast of Red Bays, North Andros.
The search remains ongoing.
The Lamar and Sosa families released a joint statement urging authorities to continue deploying every available resource.
“The Lamar and Sosa families are deeply grateful to everyone participating in the search and to those who have reached out with support,” it read.
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