Air Force and Coast Guard Rescue 11 After Plane Crash Off Florida Coast

A twin-engine turboprop aircraft crashed approximately 80 miles east of Melbourne, Florida, on May 12 after experiencing engine failure during a flight between islands in the Bahamas, prompting a rapid interagency search-and-rescue operation that recovered all 11 Bahamian adults on board from a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean, according to official statements from the U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force Reserve Command.

The Details

The aircraft, which was carrying 11 adult passengers identified as Bahamian nationals, had departed Marsh Harbor and was en route to Freeport when it suffered engine failure, the Air Force Reserve Command said. The resulting distress signal was detected by rescue authorities around 11 a.m. on May 12, initiating a coordinated maritime response involving the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing, which operates out of Patrick Space Force Base.

Responding crews located the survivors gathered in a life raft floating near the crash site in open Atlantic waters. An HH-60W Jolly Green helicopter crew from the 920th Rescue Wing conducted the hoist operation, lifting all 11 individuals from the raft to safety. The survivors had been adrift in the life raft for approximately five hours before the helicopter crew reached them in open water, NBC News reported, citing information from Air Force rescuers and the Coast Guard.

After being hoisted from the water, the survivors were transported by helicopter to Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Upon arrival, all 11 were reported to be in stable condition, according to the Coast Guard. The rescue operation concluded without any reported fatalities among those on board the downed aircraft.

Col. Chadd Bloomstine of the Air Force Reserve Command praised the execution of the mission. "This rescue highlights the readiness, professionalism and interoperability our Airmen train for every day," he said.

Master Chief Petty Officer Omar Colon of the Coast Guard credited interagency support for the outcome. "The outstanding support from Patrick Space Force Base and the seamless coordination among all responding agencies directly contributed to the successful rescue of 11 survivors from the downed aircraft," he said.

Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty, an Air Force rescuer involved in the operation, described the survival of everyone on board as remarkable. "And from what I've seen, I mean, for all those people to survive is pretty miraculous," she told NBC News.

Context

The 920th Rescue Wing, headquartered at Patrick Space Force Base, serves as the Air Force Reserve's only combat search-and-rescue wing. The wing deployed an HH-60W Jolly Green helicopter and crew for the rescue mission conducted approximately 80 miles off the Florida coast. In this incident, the emergency locator transmitter beacon proved critical by enabling rescue crews to accurately pinpoint the downed aircraft and the nearby life raft in the open Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, the Coast Guard stated.

What's Next

All 11 survivors were transported to Melbourne Orlando International Airport and reported in stable condition, concluding the immediate rescue operation. The Coast Guard and Air Force Reserve Command reported the successful recovery of every individual on board the aircraft, bringing the emergency response to a close.