Bahamas News

Investigators probing last month’s disappearance of a 19-seat Western Air commuter plane, which has not yet been recovered, were attempting to trace several electronic mail messages sent from a Colombian pilot — the police’s primary suspect — to his Bahamian girlfriend, a source close to the ongoing investigation confirmed yesterday.

A source in airport security, who asked not to be named because he was unauthorized to speak about the investigation, told The Nassau Guardian that detectives were trying to locate the Internet Provider address from which at least two electronic mails were sent by the pilot to his girlfriend in New Providence.

The pilot’s girlfriend disclosed the existence of those electronic mails during a recent interview with police, an independent source in another airport security related agency confirmed.

Police interviews with the girlfriend also revealed that the pilot had traveled to Colombia to care for his son, who is said to be suffering from a herniated disk, said the source.

Neither the pilot’s name nor the identity of his girlfriend has been released.

The pilot, who worked for Western Air while in The Bahamas, has also indicated his intention to have the plane returned to The Bahamas, sources said.

The Fairchild Metroliner 3 type plane, a turboprop aircraft, disappeared from a parking apron at the Lynden Pindling International Airport sometime between the evening of April 25 and the early morning of April 26.

When contacted by The Nassau Guardian yesterday, police liaison officials would neither confirm nor deny the latest reports.

“We are satisfied with the progress that we are making on the investigation and to say anything publicly that would in any way comprise the ongoing investigation would be less than prudent,” Chief Superintendent Hulan Hanna said. “We are following encouraging leads in that investigation.”

Attorneys for Western Air have declined comment and did not return calls yesterday.

By Raymond Kongwa
The Nassau Guardian