By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE daughter of an 87-year-old man killed in last year’s Andros plane crash says the final investigation report has brought no closure, only renewed grief and questions about accountability.

On the one-year anniversary of the September 12, 2024, crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) released its findings, concluding fuel exhaustion was the probable cause of the Piper Aztec accident that killed Allen Russell and 43-year-old Emma Williams, and injured four others.

Investigators said inadequate flight planning, poor weather, and the pilot’s decision-making may also have contributed. The pilot, Karaganda “Cardi” Newton, was not certified to operate below the minimum standards for visual flying, according to the report.

Mr Newton was identified as the pilot in FAA registry records, but not named in the report. 

Kelda Russell, the daughter of Allen Russell, said the findings left her devastated.

“It doesn’t bring any closure,” she told The Tribune. “It doesn’t bring any relief. Because the way things happen, it should not have happened, and I expect that the government would do more to protect us.”

She said Andros residents are vulnerable because of the limited air service to the island. Western Air offers only three morning flights weekly, while Bahamasair provides none. Many residents rely on small charters for medical appointments, banking, and groceries, yet she believes oversight of those operators remains lax.

“It is almost as if my father’s death was in vain,” she said. “I can’t say this was changed because daddy dead.”

The AAIA report said the US-registered six-seater Piper Aztec PA-23-250 departed Lynden Pindling International Airport shortly before 2pm bound for San Andros. Records showed 30 gallons of fuel were purchased in the six days before the crash, but investigators could not determine how much fuel was on board at take-off.

Ms Russell said it was unbearable to accept that the plane simply ran out of fuel, insisting proper planning could have prevented the tragedy. She accused the pilot of negligence and said charges should be brought against him, adding that despite being a friend of her father’s, he has never offered condolences.

Prophet Godfrey Rolle, a survivor, also condemned the findings, arguing fuel exhaustion was not the real cause. He lamented the fact that the government did not compensate victims and survivors, while recalling how he battled a serious foot injury and mounting medical bills.

He further alleged the rescue response was too slow, saying passengers spent nearly 40 minutes stranded after the crash landing west of New Providence.

“We was out there for about 35 to 40 minutes right before we was rescued, and that is the reason why those people die,” he said.

Mr Rolle claimed Allen Russell was still alive when transferred to a lifeboat but was denied urgent aid.

“I asked the young man, the person, ‘Can you do CPR?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Well, the old man is living. Could y’all do the CPR?’ None of them never done no CPR on him. You know, it’s ridiculous.”