Nassau – It is against the laws of the Bahamas to fly after sunset unless instrument rated. This means that you must have an instrument flight plan, in accordance with instrument flight rules.
This means Pilot Byron Ferguson at the point of departure must have filed this instrument flight plan, seeing that he was to have entered the airspace after sunset which is 5:21pm EST. Hence, the control tower at LPIA would have been aware of the intended arrival of Ferguson’s Aztec PA-27 six-seater, aircraft which left Lantana Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida. And they would have spoken to him numerous times as he was passed from one control tower to another.
When he began experiencing difficulties, he would have been engaged in his calls of distress and classified his situation as an emergency situation. He would have been given priority. [Planes in the area would have not been permitted to enter the aerodrome which is the space surrounding the airport until the plane in distress was safely on the ground.]
Minister of National Security Marvin Dames answered Bahamas Press’ questions this morning, confirmed that missing pilot Byron Ferguson failed to file a flight plan before his plane left West Palm Beach.
Marvin Dames told the media this morning “NO”. Pilot Byron Ferguson did not file a flight plan.
So we will be fair and kind to our critics and maybe they can answer this:
1) Why did pilot Byron Ferguson not file a flight plan especially when he knew he would be flying in instrument conditions?
2) Why are there no logs of his pending arrival at the Control Tower at LPIA in Nassau? [In aviation terms we call that a “popup”]
3) And why was Ferguson contacting friends and/or relatives to monitor his flight and not engaging the tower? Why would he do that?!
These facts now open a Pandora’s box full of questions:
What was he really doing out there in the dark?
So, now let’s move to the other scenarios and address the truth of this matter, eh?
We report yinner decide!
