The pilot who ditched a King Air with 10 passengers onboard earlier this week says he lost both engines and the panel before he put it on the Atlantic about 60 miles off Melbourne, Florida. No one was seriously injured in the ditching, although the 11 people bobbed in the open ocean on life rafts for five hours before being rescued by the Air Force. “Basically, lost my navigation, all radios—flying over 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like that,” pilot Ian Nixon, 43, told CBS News. “I did my best. I had a lot of stuff going on in the aircraft—just trying to get that under control.”
Nixon, who was operating a charter flight between two Bahamian islands, said first one engine quit and then the other on what was supposed to be a 20-minute hop from the Abaco Islands and Freeport Grand Bahama. He said he tried to radio controllers in Freeport and Miami but never got a response. The aircraft ended up well north of the Bahamas before Nixon put it down. After the water landing, he and other occupants deployed the life rafts and the water-activated ELT let authorities know they had crashed. They were airlifted to Melbourne by the 920th Rescue Wing and all were admitted to a hospital. Only three needed to be treated for injuries.
Shocking failures of…everything, followed by an awesome job ditching and saving everyone. What a story! With the aircraft lost, I guess we’ll never know what caused this near disaster.
Isn’t this the second double-engine-failure on a cabin class turbine within the past 2 weeks?
Hmm ..perhaps there was too much air in the fuel tanks?
Yes, and that could also explain the loss of avionics about 30 minutes later when water was pouring into the cabin. Fuel ⛽️ must be getting very expensive in the islands these days. That Bermuda Triangle can be pretty spooky ya know.
Something seems amiss here. He was flying from Abaco to Freeport and ended up 60 miles of the coast of Melbourne? Lee
Magnetic compass is the most reliable instrument.
Glad they all survived while the pilot needs additional training regarding MC.
Unless the windshield heat is on.
You seem to have more details than I’ve seen anywhere on the incident. Was he in IMC? VMC? Above a cloud layer? Avoiding cloud build-up? Could he see land anywhere? or just blue water all around him? or just cloud tops? I haven’t seen any reporting on any of those details. A magnetic compass is great, but there are still limits to using in over the ocean. Without more info I haven’t been able to reach any conclusion on what happened and what might have been done to mitigate a dual engine failure after an electronic failure.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/passenger-on-bahamian-plane-that-crashed-off-florida-coast-charged-in-drug-conspiracy/3809896/
Wow. The plot thickens.
So, suppose you are flying a plane just like this one and you do not wish to be tracked, for whatever reason.
What would be the potential aeronautical risks and complications of just turning everything (not critical to propulsion) off?
You are required to answer questions relevant to your actions.
Going for a swim is fishy.
The Triangle tried but this group refused to enter.
New repors reveal information about a passenger: “Passenger on Bahamian plane that crashed off Florida coast charged in drug conspiracy”
Beechcraft King Air Crash in the Bahamas — All 11 SurvivedA Beechcraft King Air 300 operated by a private charter from Marsh Harbour (Leonard M. Thompson International Airport) in the Bahamas to Freeport, Grand Bahama International Airport crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on May 12, 2026 after the pilot declared an emergency .
Circumstances of the CrashThe flight, only about 100 miles long, was en route when the pilot, Ian Nixon, a 43‑year‑old Bahamian pilot, lost both engines and all avionics, including navigation and radio. He managed to fly as far as possible before ditching the aircraft about 50 miles east of Vero Beach, Florida. The pilot later said he tried to contact air traffic control but lost communication before the crash.
Search and RescueThe U.S. Coast Guard was alerted by the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) around 11:00 a.m. local time. A U.S. Air Force 920th Rescue Wing team, including an HC‑130J Combat King II and HH‑60W Jolly Green II helicopters, launched a search in rough seas. The survivors had been in the life raft for about five hours before being spotted.
Rescue crews dropped survival kits, food, and water, then conducted nine hoists to recover all 11 occupants. The operation was described as “pretty miraculous” by Air Force personnel.
Survivors and InjuriesAll 11 people on board survived, though three suffered minor injuries. They were taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida, and other local hospitals for evaluation. The pilot, Nixon, received treatment for his injuries and later returned to Nassau.
Cause and InvestigationThe Bahamas Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) and the FAA are investigating the cause. No fatalities were reported, and the aircraft’s structural integrity or the pilot’s emergency ditching likely contributed to the survival.
Key Facts
This incident stands out as a rare survival of a ditching in the Atlantic, with all occupants rescued despite hours adrift in rough seas
Thanks that’s the article.
you are, welcome!