Beech 18 crashed into Atlantic, at least one occupant killed

[Stratofreighter]

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One dead, one missing after cargo plane from Fort Lauderdale crashes in Bahamas

Posted: 10:41 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010

Bahamian searchers recovered the body of a man who was one of two people aboard a small cargo plane flying from Fort Lauderdale that crashed Tuesday in the Atlantic Ocean north of Nassau, the most populated island in the Bahamas.

The twin-engine Beechcraft-18 was registered to the Monarch Air Group, based in Fort Lauderdale, where the plane took off on its way to Nassau.

The company's website describes it as a passenger air charter and air cargo service provider.

The victims had not been identified late Tuesday.

Royal Bahamas Defense Force officials said they found the dead man floating amid wreckage off New Providence island.

They also found luggage containing women's clothes, but were still searching for signs of the second person.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter also searched for the missing passenger as a passing cold front brought strong winds.

Monarch was founded by Paul Slavin in 2005, and began with a single aircraft flying cargo from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, according to the company's website.

The company now owns and operates nine aircraft out of a three-story building at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, the website says.

Information from Staff Writer Wayne K. Roustan, The Associated Press and CNN was used in this report.