2 hours ago
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Surviving members of the beloved Bahamian philharmonic radical Da Pond Band are speaking retired astir their friends and bandmates who were killed erstwhile a tiny level operated by Flamingo Air crashed successful the Bahamas connected Friday, sidesplitting each 10 radical connected board.
Da Pond Band, known for their lively Caribbean music, and a fashionable DJ were each acceptable to execute astatine an Independence Day solemnisation connected Andros Island. A formation that typically takes nether 20 minutes, the level had near Lynden Pindling International Airport successful Nassau and was en way to San Andros erstwhile it crashed successful North Andros, the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said.
Earlier successful the day, Shenia Roberts, a vocalist for Da Pond Band, had already arrived connected Andros Island and was waiting for the remainder of the set to arrive. Roberts said 5 members of their radical were killed successful the crash.
"They were the radical that I talked to successful the morning, successful the night," Roberts told CBS News. "They were my friends, my confidants. And I was waiting connected them."
She said she flew successful from Nassau connected the aforesaid plane, flown by the aforesaid pilot, astatine astir 7 a.m.
"You could archer it was an aged plane," Roberts said. " But we didn't person immoderate issues."
Bahamian investigators are looking into what led to the crash. Flamingo Air suspended each flights aft 2 exigency incidents happened connected the aforesaid day. Earlier successful the day, the hose had a abstracted level drawback occurrence aft landing successful Nassau, according to Bahamian officials. There were nary casualties successful that incident.
"I'm inactive shocked that they're gone. I can't judge it," said Shaniese Miller, different surviving set member. "They're my household and I ne'er expected that to happen."
Miller was past with the set members who died the erstwhile Friday astatine a play show they big successful Nassau.
"It's the hottest spot, each Bahamian is there. International radical alert implicit conscionable to travel to spot Da Pond," Miller told CBS News. "We were having truthful overmuch fun, and aft the 2nd set, we were, they were conscionable saying however they were truthful excited to spell to Andros."
The set members who died were identified by Da Pond Band arsenic Giovanni McKenzie, Mateo Winder, Rashad Storr, Tonique Gilot and Travis Johnson. Melvin Henfield, besides known arsenic DJ Fresh, was besides connected the flight, according to the band.
The nonaccomplishment of these fashionable euphony figures has deed the amusement manufacture successful the Bahamas hard.
"They meant truthful overmuch to truthful galore people, this state is wrecked," said Anishka Lewis, a fashionable Bahamian vocalist who often performed with Da Pond Band. "The past happening I said to them due to the fact that we were successful rehearsals till astir 1 a.m. I told them, I say, listen, I emotion and admit y'all, man. Thank y'all for putting successful the clip and effort and vigor into it, and I can't hold to spot y'all connected Saturday."
Three different passengers who were not performers were connected the flight. Officials person not yet released their names.
Anasthasia Rolle told CBS News she believes her 16-year-old son, Nicholas Oliver Jr., is among those who were killed Friday. She said she believes helium was added to the formation astatine the past minute.
Rolle said her lad was excited to sojourn household and be the festival. He was acceptable to instrumentality a ferry earlier successful the time with his begetter but they got determination excessively late, she said. The begetter past went to the airdrome to spot if helium could get him connected a plane.
He was acceptable to get astir 12:30 p.m., but arsenic planes kept arriving successful San Andros, Rolle couldn't find her son. Hours passed.
"The question was, wherever is Nicholas? Did helium disappear?" Rolle said. "As the clip passed, I had to travel to realization that my lad was decidedly connected that plane."
The aviator connected the Flamingo Air formation waited connected the tarmac to capable much seats for 2 hours aft the level was acceptable to initially depart, according to Roberts, the vocalist for Da Pond Band, who said she was texting with McKenzie, 1 of the leaders of the set who died successful the crash.
"He told maine that they were getting acceptable to leave, I reached retired and I asked him, truthful wherefore are you taking truthful long? What happened? He said the aviator ... He's trying to find different radical to capable the level up," Roberts told CBS News.
McKenzie wrote astatine 12:01 p.m. connected Friday that the aviator was "waiting circular for much radical to afloat up the plane," according to a screenshot of the substance speech connected WhatsApp that was obtained by CBS News.
A Bahamian aviation root acquainted with the substance told CBS News it tin beryllium a communal signifier successful the Bahamas to hold until the level is afloat earlier departing if the lawsuit is paying per seat, alternatively than chartering the full plane.
The formation was expected to beryllium a charter formation exclusive to the performers for the festival, according to Roberts.
"That should person not been the situation, due to the fact that it was a chartered plane," Roberts said.
CBS News has reached retired to Flamingo Air for comment.
When reached by phone, the proprietor of the hose told CBS News helium had "no comment."
The formation departed astir 12:30 p.m., according to formation records. It crashed successful a wooded country adjacent the airdrome 18 minutes later.
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