NYPost: Florida couple missing after crash

A family of four from South Florida was reported missing after a small plane apparently went down off the Bahamas on Monday, prompting a search by Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard. Bahamian police said the aircraft was believed to have crash-landed off Red Bays, North Andros, after departing Great Harbour Cay with four people aboard. Family members identified the passengers as Mario Lamar Sr., 80, Lili Lamar, 79, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. The New York Post was one of several outlets to report the family had been returning from a Bahamas vacation home. ### Where did the plane disappear? The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the aircraft was a PA-34 Piper five-seater with tail number N212ML that departed Great Harbour Cay at about 11:12 a.m. on September 7. Police said air traffic control later lost contact with the plane about 13 miles west of Andros Island. Officers on Andros were coordinating efforts to locate the aircraft off the coast of Red Bays, North Andros, according to the police statement cited by ABC News and local Florida outlets. (abcnews.com) ### Who was on board? ABC News, citing a family statement, identified the four passengers as Mario Lamar Sr., his wife Lili Lamar, and grandchildren Sofi Sosa and Christian Sosa. NBC Miami reported family members said the group had spent the weekend at a second home in Great Harbour Cay and was returning to South Florida on Monday. The family said Mario Lamar was an experienced pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience. (abcnews.com) ### What did the Coast Guard say? The U.S. Coast Guard said the Royal Bahamian Defense Force requested assistance at about 2 p.m. after a report of a downed airplane with four people aboard about 15 miles off Andros Island. The Coast Guard said it was assisting Bahamian authorities in the search and that an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft was supporting the effort. WSVN and other outlets in South Florida carried the same account from Coast Guard officials. (abcnews.com) ### Was weather a factor in the search? Bahamas police said poor weather postponed search activity for an unspecified period after the aircraft was reported down. UPI, citing the police statement, said inclement weather had delayed rescue efforts even as authorities said locating the aircraft and its occupants remained a priority. That means the timeline of the search depended in part on conditions over the water west of Andros Island. (abcnews.com) ### Why did reports list different Florida destinations? NBC Miami reported the aircraft was headed to Miami Executive Airport, while UPI said the plane was en route to Opa-locka, Florida. ABC News, citing the family statement, also said the aircraft was bound for Miami Executive Airport, formerly Tamiami Airport. The discrepancy appeared in early reporting on September 7, while the aircraft type, tail number and last known area were consistent across accounts. (abcnews.com) ### What happens next? As of reports published late September 7 and early September 8, no rescue outcome had been publicly announced in the accounts reviewed. Bahamian police, the Royal Bahamian Defense Force and the U.S. Coast Guard were the named agencies involved in the search area off North Andros. Any further public update is likely to come from those authorities or from family statements carried by South Florida media. (local10.com) (nbcmiami.com)