Ten Americans walked away from a seaplane crash Saturday after the aircraft slammed into a dock in North Bimini, turning a routine water departure into a sudden rescue scene. The seaplane later sank in roughly 100 feet of water, but all eight passengers and two crew members escaped without injuries.
According to WPBF 25 News, the Royal Bahamas Police Force responded after the aircraft crashed in waters near a North Bimini resort. The partially overturned plane was identified as a white, blue and red 2014 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Tropic Ocean Airways.
Initial reports said the aircraft encountered heavy vessel traffic in its intended path while trying to depart. The pilot reportedly diverted north in search of a safer route, but the plane began pulling left while taxiing on the water and did not respond to efforts to correct its course; nearby boaters helped get the occupants out.
Investigation Underway After Water Landing Goes Wrong
Government agencies were notified, and the Royal Bahamas Police Force is conducting an ongoing investigation into what caused the crash. WPBF reported that the Federal Aviation Administration and Tropic Ocean Airways had not yet provided comments.
Tropic Ocean Airways operates from Fort Lauderdale and serves destinations in Florida and the Bahamas, according to the company’s official materials. The aircraft’s owner was identified in FAA records cited by WPBF as Floatsix Leasing LLC, a company based in Lubbock, Texas.
