Officials searching for small plane that went missing midway from Bahamas to Miami

A small private plane with four people aboard went missing Monday morning on a trip from Great Harbour Cay in the Bahamas to Miami, sparking a search for survivors by Bahamian and U.S. forces.

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The Piper PA-34 Seneca, a six-seat aircraft, was last seen on radar around 11 a.m., when FlightAware data shows the plane’s speed rapidly shifting up and down, before the altitude dropped from around 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet in just three minutes. The plane’s path also looped in a circle.

After that, no data is available.

The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in the search for the downed aircraft, it said in a statement on X. As of 5 p.m., the Defence Force said in a statement that its search so far has “yielded negative results.”

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The FlightAware recording of the plane’s partial path toward Miami shows it crossing some rough weather near the north end of Andros Island. It was headed for Miami Executive Airport, a popular spot for smaller or private aircraft.

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Miami Herald staff writer Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.

This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 5:39 PM.