Three American men were killed after their twin-engine Cessna aircraft crashed and exploded into flames near the airport in Rock Sound Eleuthera Tuesday afternoon, according to investigators.
Eyewitness News was on the ground shortly after word spread of the crash, as first responders and island officials conducted their initial investigations.
The charred remains of the three men laid among the mangled wreck of steel. Eyewitnesses recalled spotting the plane having difficulty shortly after take off from the airport.
“The engine from the small plane appeared to be backfiring and it looked as if they were having some difficulty … Shortly after that, the plane went down and we heard an explosion,” one eyewitness said.
The crash site was estimated some two miles inland, in a bushy area that was difficult to access.
Island Administrator for Central Eleuthera Greg Knowles described the scene as something out of a movie.
“I have never seen anything like that in all my life,” Knowles said.
“To see those bodies burnt beyond recognition, you have to question what is man.”
Knowles said investigators are expected on site at daybreak to continue investigations.
The three victims were reportedly on the island for a fishing trip and arrived at the island on Sunday afternoon. They were on their way back to Florida but never made it.
Chief Air Accident Investigator Delvin Major told Eyewitness News that he and a team are expected on the ground Wednesday morning to begin investigating what led to the downing of that aircraft.
