Now that does not seem to apply in this case. The questions came in the wake of public outrage following rumours which suggested that the fate of Captain Byron Ferguson and his Piper Aztec plane, which went down in waters off the tip of western New Providence November 9, could have possibly had different results if all Family Island airports had functioning 24/7 airstrip lights. More must be done, he said, to ensure there is a sense of urgency and to drive home the principle of no stone left unturned" when the country is faced with tragic plane crashes. Right now, we are continuing our search and recovery efforts, however, what we have done is we have pretty much allowed for our surface craft that are patrolling the area to maintain a lookout for anything that may be telltale signs that [could] assist the Air Accident Investigation [Department] as it relates to any debris or any other significant finds, Pinder told Eyewitness News. If he was really that good, he'd compete all the time to build up his reputation. I want to interject that the Commodore of the Defence Force met with the family this morning prior to this [press conference], after we had made contact and agitated with a member of Parliament that we know. He asked, do you respond to a plane crash in the water without dive equipment?, Another family member added, he is an experienced pilot that would have taken all the necessary preparations that you would in experiencing difficulties. In this investigation, while we found no issues directly related to the aircraft or the accident itself that warranted the issuance of safety recommendations; however, we found issues in the aftermath that needed addressing as it relates to search and rescue activities among others, he said. These cookies do not store any personal information. Sorry if this is a noob question but he has done some amazing things, why couldn't he be spot in the olympics too ? When they were approaching, a little piece of the aircraft could have been seen. Yes, thats what love looks like. String Groove to String Groove length is 62". And so immediately as that information came in, the authorities activated their machinery, almost immediately. The sequence of events as we understand them, as they unfolded, as they happened, we know there was room for intervention and rescue, or a greater attempt at rescue that wasnt satisfactorily done.. We could all sit back and be Monday morning quarterbacks, but if you look at search and rescue, anywhere the world over, and you see how it is conducted sometimes you have rough waters and you may want to go in and execute a search, but you cant because the waters are rough. Absolutely not. His comments in the Senate came shortly before a group of Bahamians said yesterday that their own search team had found pieces of the plane piloted by Mr Ferguson. Monday, November 12, 2018 at 4:16:00PM EST, Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 9:08:00AM EST, Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 10:18:00AM EST, Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 1:59:00PM EST, Loss of Engine Power (Total): Beechcraft 60 Duke, N60RK; fatal accident occurred May 15, 2019 near Fort Collins-Loveland Airport (KFNL), Larimer County, Colorado, Seawind 3000, N8UU: July 03, 2021, July 02, 2021, June 27, 2021 and June 26, 2021, Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N928JP: Fatal accident occurred April 13, 2022 near Burley Municipal Airport (KBYI), Cassia County, Idaho, Cirrus SR20 G3, N99EC: Fatal accident occurred January 24, 2023 near Indianapolis Executive Airport (KTYQ), Indiana, Loss of Control in Flight: Cessna 152, N757ZM; fatal accident occurred January 13, 2015 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605, N605TR: Fatal accident occurred July 26, 2021 near Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK), Nevada County, California, Cessna A185F Skywagon, N714KH and Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub, N7498L: Fatal accident occurred August 27, 2020 at Chena Marina Airport (AK28), Fairbanks, Alaska, Cessna 152, N49931 and Cessna 340A, N740WJ: Fatal accident occurred August 18, 2022 near Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI), Santa Cruz County, California, North American Rockwell Sabreliner 60, XB-JMR: Aircraft turns residents into entrepreneurs, Cessna 140, N2506N: Fatal accident occurred April 15, 2021 near H. A. Clark Memorial Field (KCMR), Williams, Coconino County, Arizona, Pilatus PC-12/47E, N79NX: Fatal accident occurred February 13, 2022 in Beaufort, Carteret County, North Carolina, Cessna C340, N7022G: Fatal accident occurred October 11, 2021 in Santee, San Diego County, California, CSA PiperSport, N126WK: Fatal accident occurred September 08, 2022 at Santa Monica Airport (KSMO), Los Angeles County, California, CASA C-212-200 Aviocar, N497CA: Fatal accident occurred July 29, 2022 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (KRDU), Morrisville, Wake County, North Carolina, Cirrus SR20 G6, N700YZ: Fatal accident occurred November 05, 2022 at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (KMYF), San Diego, California, Beechcraft V35B Bonanza, N112TW: Fatal accident occurred July 16, 2021 near Angwin Airport-Parrett Field (2O3), Napa County, California, Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300, N555NR: Fatal accident occurred January 02, 2023 at Provo Municipal Airport (KPVU), Utah County, Utah, Embraer ERJ-175, N264NN: Fatal accident occurred December 31, 2022 at Montgomery Regional Airport (KMGM), Alabama, Loss of Control in Flight: Cessna 525C Citation CJ4, N614SB, fatal accident occurred December 29, 2016 near Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL), Cleveland, Ohio, Cirrus SR22 GTS, N24LA: Fatal accident occurred May 06, 2022 in the Atlantic Ocean near Tybee Island, Georgia, Loss of Control in Flight: Cirrus SR20, N4252G, fatal accident occurred June 09, 2016 near Hobby Airport (KHOU), Houston, Texas, Loss of Control in Flight: Cirrus SR22, N670SR; fatal accident occurred May 31, 2018 at Midland International Air and Space Port Airport (KMAF), Midland County, Texas, Medical Event: Cessna Citation 560, N3RB / N561EJ; fatal accident occurred January 09, 2021 in Warm Springs, Oregon, Loss of Control in Flight: SIAI Marchetti SM.1019B, N28U; fatal accident occurred July 24, 2021 at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport (KLWS), Idaho. Byron Ferguson, byronferguson@msn.com 256-773-2467. Pressed further on the time divers left and returned he said: Ill say this without getting specific with the time it was well after 0200 hours when our surface craft went in and of course we had to allow for our people an opportunity to get the right equipment to initiate a dive operation at first light. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. My understanding is that they checked the coordinates that they had last night, they checked it this morning to discover that the plane was no longer in that position.. During his 11th prison sentence, Byron Ferguson, 56, did something either foolish or brilliant: He turned down an offer for parole. The AAID emphasizes that the factual information that has been gathered to date is preliminary in nature and new information that may become available may alter this information before the publication of the final report, read the interim report. You can foul up closing it, but it's not any biggie, as far as flying the plane is concerned. There were no visible persons at the time based on what I have been informed of, Pinder said. After watching Byron Shoot Mr Lee declared Byron's abilities SUPER HUMAN and he is the real Hawk Eye. A memorial service for Byron was held at Bethel Baptist Church last Friday, a year to the date. He knew he could not make it to LPIA. Long bow legend and trick shot master, Byron Ferguson, continues to show off his wing shooting skills by hitting a quarter out of the air. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Neither could they say when the search resumed. It was very dark out here last night, little to no lighting, a lot of things going on, a lot of moving parts, a lot of coordinates attempting to be made but our units got here within 10 to 15 minutes of the call. Wrote an instructional book on his archery method titled "Become The Arrow". Over a year after Byron Ferguson disappeared after his plane crashed into waters north of New Providence, a final report from the Air Accident Investigation Department revealed shortfalls in the relevant authorities' response to the accident. This company produces Byron's video work as well as work for anyone needing high quality video production or DVD duplication. He had clarity of mind and what he was doing.. Byron Long was born on May 10, 1969 and is 53 years old now. Craig Ferguson Death Hoax Dismissed Since Television host Is 'Alive And Well'. Family members and loved ones of one of the pilots that went down in Thursdays unfortunate plane crash were brought to tears yesterday as they expressed their extreme frustration with search and rescue attempts. While Fergusons family remains hopeful that he is still alive, authorities said it is unlikely that anyone survived the crash in waters about a mile north of Nirvana Beach. The cabin door if slightly open produces the stabilator to buffet, it can be unnerving even with the slightest amount of the door being ajar. The six-seater Piper Aztec aircraft plunged into the sea two nautical miles from the airfield at Lynden Pindling International Airport. The only thing you can say is the current may have carried it., Bjorn Ferguson added, What makes it so egregious is the fact that for two or three consecutive days, you had family members standing up on this beach; obviously we dont have time to waste, were here because we know something happened, and none of the authorities, in particular the lead agency, has sought to send a liaison person and get correct information.. During a press conference held on Sunday, relatives of Mr Ferguson expressed dissatisfaction with the way officials have conducted search and rescue efforts in the wake of the plane crash in the waters off Nirvana Beach on Thursday night. My thing is, this isnt the first time that there has been a plane crash or anything of this nature. Do you think Government should have approved the Royal Caribbean beach club project? While filming a segment for this show the Apache Indians named Byron "TDO-EE-CEE-E" which means The One That Doesn't Miss. Bjorn Ferguson, another brother, said it was unbelievable that divers were not sent into the water when authorities reportedly still had sight on the aircraft Thursday night. Byron appeared on American Shooter on TNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and OLN for ten years where his "SHOT OF THE WEEK" was the most watched portion of the show. Commander Ferguson continued: So we would have dived that area and we would have been confident in that one mile range of dive that we did that there was no other debris that we found in that area. - Mike Bolton, The Birmingham News, Byron Ferguson is not only one of the South's top bowhunters, he is also one of the country's premier trick archers - capable of impaling a silver dollar-sized disc in flight with an aluminum arrow from his longbow. The Police Force and Defence Force with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard conducted search and rescue efforts by air and sea on Thursday night and located the aircraft. Ferguson created magic with the 68-inch longbow, slamming bull's-eyes from every imaginable hunting position. You dont know what youre up againstyou have to make that call once you get to that scene. However, while Mr Bethel attempted to make a compelling case for these efforts since the incident last week Thursday, neither he nor other officials present could definitively tell reporters at what time the search was suspended in the hours following the crash in waters off Nirvana beach. Police said shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday, Air Traffic Control (ATC) reported that a plane had disappeared from the radar near Nirvana Beach after the pilot had reported that the door to the plane had flown open. So they give you a telephone number and they give you a name and they say if there is anything you want to know about that investigation you call that person and that person will tell you what is happening with the investigation. It cannot happen. You know, its been almost 24 hours, its highly unlikely that [at] this time youll find anyone if theyre in this plane alive because, obviously, the plane is submerged in water.. He was scheduled to return to work today in South Africa, said Fergusons brother, Bjorn, who spoke to the media yesterday at Nirvana Beach, where dozens of their relatives and friends gathered. Relatives said Mr. Ferguson is a graduate of the Florida Air Academy who has been flying since he was 14-years-old. He is the son of former media personality Agnes Ferguson. At a press conference on Nirvana Beach on Sunday, one of Mr. Fergusons brothers said the seasoned pilot experienced difficulties with the planes door during flight and contacted Air Traffic Control. Cookie Notice We have to be careful in how we are reporting, because this is sensitive and as I speak to you, the only thing I am thinking about is the family and what they are going through, and me having to be very careful as to what I say as to not exacerbate a very, very sensitive situation. Those teams out there have been working tirelessly, and always remember in search and rescue, when teams are out there and theyre working their first area of focus is the protection of life. However, shortly thereafter, the aircraft would have sunk.. The left engine is critical therefore not on the side of the nose baggage door and by chance the aircraft is only equipped with one hydraulic pump it is also on the left engine. He revealed that in the event that there is an emergency where a distressed aircraft needs to land at a Family Island airport, pilots are supposed to contact Air Traffic Control (ATC) in New Providence. He said, the information that we obtained indicated that my brother encountered difficulties about 40 miles off of the coast of New Providence with his door. I remember being informed by my predecessor had emergency lighting. We strive to complete investigations and issue reports as quickly as possible. Well then, meet Byron Ferguson; a modern day Robin Hood. The family of missing pilot, Byron Ferguson contends that he did file a flight plan, despite conflicting reports that he did not. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Ferguson passed three smaller airports while en route to Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) last week Friday; the Chub Cay airport, Great Harbour Cay airport and the San Andros airport. "This is the only true statement at the time of notification.The Ferguson family is unhappy with everything and everybody.If I fly offshore beyond glide to land at night I do not have any expectation to be rescued. Every family, I included, if I were faced with that situation, would want to ensure that the authorities are doing all that is humanely possible to return their loved one or loved ones home, Mr Dames said. I am not giving up on my husband and I dont expect anyone out here to give up on him, she said. Recognising that we cannot predict when the call would go out for our vessels to respond the vessels that responded were not necessarily on full tanks. At several points in Fridays press conference Mr Bethel seemed to be on the defensive saying at one point that people were taking an I gotcha approach in waiting for mistakes to be made, adding that some members of the press had withheld information to whack somebody over the head with it. He said he and his relatives were just trying to deal with the reality and find a way to heal from the wound left by the loss of Byron. Is Byron Long Dead or Still Alive? The commodore further admitted that the RBDF could have done a better job in its communication with relatives and the media after it was revealed that marine divers had discovered oil containers, residue and other lightweight materials on the seabed Tuesday. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. So, we have to be extremely careful when we say aircraft; we give the impression that here is this big aircraft that they saw lying on the water; that is not so. In a Facebook post on the eve of the anniversary, Byrons mother Agnes Ferguson wrote: Parents, no matter what love your children unconditionally and do whats right, despite what anyone thinks. THE pilot of the ill-fated plane that crashed in the waters of Nirvana Beach on Thursday night was coming home to take his parents on a trip to South Africa in celebration of his father's birthday,. The report raised issue with the search and rescue procedures, calling for the government to establish an organization dedicated solely to search and . It has been suggested that he was unable to land his malfunctioning aircraft at any of these airports because the lights had already been turned off for the night. Had we been able to recover the aircraft and been able to conduct an analysis, it is possible more safety issues could have been identified., Major said: Our report, once finalized, will be sent to The Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority and others concerned and we would expect them to look closely at all our findings.. The chief investigator also noted that as part of the AAIDs investigations, similar occurrences within and outside The Bahamas are reviewed. Pinder said defence force officers were combing the shoreline from the Compass Point area thats intended to come to this area (Nirvana Beach) and pass it and go to the west to see if any debris from the plane could be found. The report does not conclude engine malfunction as the cause of the incident; however, the AAID is expected to state the likely cause in the final report set to be released early next year. Sorry, there are no blog posts at the moment. He said: A mutual friend of Byron yesterday, who is still in shock, indicated to me that the wife with a 10-month-old child is still walking up and down that beach, and the beaches, not eating and just asking people to help me look in the bushes, look over there, check that sand and all of our hearts break. Byron Lars, Beauty Mark, spring 2010. via Byron Lars. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Byron is again working with Jim Scoutten, host of American Shooter, on Jim's new program "Shooting USA" on The Outdoor Channel and "IMPOSSIBLE SHOTS". Were told that the plane may have relocated from its original position that it was in last night and so we continue to search. Byron is known. He told his friend to track him; he was going to ditch this plane here. These cookies do not store any personal information. The family also indicating that the search and rescue team did not mark the planes exact location that night, further delaying rescue efforts. $599.00 Details Add To Cart Woodsman THE WOODSMAN IS A COST FRIENDLY LONGBOW. When Byron Ferguson put down his hunting rifle in favor of a bow and arrow, he had more than 200 whitetails to his credit. Boy howdy- you just got SCHOOLED my friend--. - Tim Tucker, The Palm Beach Post It appears that the Howard Hill torch has been passed to another native Alabaman. I finally got to see Byron Ferguson in action. Often times they are going to a very, very risky and dangerous situation, where one bad decision could result in them losing their lives as well, Mr. Dames said. I dont know and I cant say for how long the actual [search] this stage will continue, Pinder said. The search efforts were suspended around midnight and resumed early Friday morning. Today flight investigator Kendal Dorsett told the media he had no insight into this incident and that the investigation continues. I know this young man very well, his wife, his family, his brothers, his father, his mother and they all live in the Fox Hill constituency, but quite apart from that, I want to join in the concerns about how this accident was dealt with, Mr Mitchell said.
