Malibu Ditches In Ocean Near Nassau

Two Florida men were lost this week when their Piper Malibu went down 20 miles north of Nassau in the Bahamas.

Frank Watchus and Ernest Coleman were found dead in the water near the wreckage Tuesday night, three hours after the Coast Guard received the call to search for a downed plane, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Johnson of the Miami Coast Guard station.

"They were heading from Nassau to the Fort Lauderdale International Airport," she said.

A helicopter crew from the Clearwater station found the two men just before 2000 EDT, she told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The PA-46-310P (file photo of type, below), registered to Happy Skies Inc. out of Bonita Springs, FL lost radio contact with ATC shortly after it left Nassau, federal authorities said.

Since the accident occurred in international waters, said Tim Monville with the NTSB, authorities in the US and the Bahamas are discussing which country will take on the investigation.

**   Report created 4/11/2007
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 444JH        Make/Model: PA46      Description: PA-46 Malibu, Malibu Mirage
  Date: 04/10/2007     Time: 2104

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: NASSAU BAHAMAS   State:      Country: BS

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLY INJURED, 22 MILES FROM NASSAU, BAHAMAS

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: MYNN 102100Z 16055KT 9999 BKN018 BKN200 29/24 A1012

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: NASSAU, BAHAMAS             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: FORT LAUDERDALE, FL      Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: SOUTH FLORIDA, FL  (SO19)             Entry date: 04/11/2007

FMI: www.ntsb.gov