Ten Killed in Plane Crash on the Bahamas’ Largest Island

Ten people were killed Friday when a plane crashed on the largest island in the Bahamas, the authorities said.

Nine passengers and a pilot took off from Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, the Bahamas’ capital, at about 12:30 p.m., according to the authorities and flight records.

Then just before 2 p.m., the police in Nicholls Town on the island of Andros received reports that a small aircraft had crashed just west of the San Andros Airport, Shanta Emily Knowles, the Royal Bahamas police commissioner, said during a news conference.

When the authorities reached the scene, they found one survivor with critical injuries, Ms. Knowles said. That person subsequently died, she added.

The authorities did not identify the victims.

The aircraft was traveling to the San Andros Airport, according to a preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority of the Bahamas. The plane, a Cessna 402 operated by Flamingo Air, often flew between Nassau and the San Andros Airport, according to flight records and the authorities.

“The aircraft reportedly encountered difficulties and crashed into bushes prior to landing,” said the aircraft accident authority.

Flamingo Air operates flights across the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The Bahamas Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation suspended all Flamingo Air flights “in the interest of aviation and safety,” according to a statement.

“The suspension is a precautionary safety measure and should not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air,” the statement said.

Flamingo Air did not return a request for comment.

Ms. Knowles said the Royal Bahamas Police Force and other agencies were investigating the crash.

Friday is the 53rd anniversary of the Bahamas’ separation from Britain, a day often marked with colorful parades and dancing. The authorities in the country noted that the air crash had added a mournful note to the celebrations.

“It is a day that usually fills our heart with pride, gratitude and hope,” Prime Minister Philip Davis of the Bahamas said during the news conference. “Instead, we gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow.”