Posted on 09/08/2026 3:17:57 PM PDT by Red Badger
All four missing family members aboard a small plane that crashed off the Bahamas were found dead on Tuesday.
The pilot, Mario Lamar, 80, his wife, Lili Lamar, 79 and their two adult grandchildren, Sofia Sosa and Christian Sosa, were en route to Miami when the plane crashed near Great Harbour Cay.
All four bodies were recovered on Tuesday, according to the family.
According to The Los Angeles Times, The plane was a twin-engine PA-34 Piper five-seater.
The plane crash is currently under investigation.
AP reported:
All four family members aboard a small plane that went missing off the Bahamas were found dead Tuesday after relatives launched their own search effort, a family member said.
Silvia Larrieu said relatives on boats recovered the bodies.
The plane went missing on Monday after departing Great Harbour Cay, a city in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, for Miami Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County, according to Bahamas police.
Larrieu said her uncle, Mario Lamar, 80, had more than 40 years of experience as a pilot and routinely flew to the Bahamas, where he had a second home in Great Harbour Cay. The plane was also carrying his wife, Lili, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. They were returning home to Miami from a trip over the long weekend, Larrieu said.
Aviation ping..............
Sad news.
If your pilot chooses a time to die, and he’s mid-air and the only pilot, that is also when you’ve chosen to die.
Not sure I would get on a small plane with only 1 pilot if that pilot was 80 years old. Even if the pilot was my grandfather.
But he had 50 years of experience. /s
umm hum
Only flown once in a small plane. About an hour flight same day back and forth. 10 seater with 2 pilots Wasn’t completely full 8 passengers. We were seated to balance the plane. No problems and the weather was good. Going back was at night. I wasn’t too nervous but I did feel a bit more vulnerable than I would in a larger commercial plane. The pilots weren’t 80 that’s for sure.
“Silvia Larrieu said relatives on boats recovered the bodies.“
I guess the Bahamas doesn’t have search and rescue personnel
They don’t have much of anything.......
Tragic.
Yeah, I’ve flown that plane, or one like it, before.
it’s amazing the mercy of God that allows most flights to take off and land safely.
I flew often for a few decades, it took me some years to feel safe in the air. At this point I don’t hope to fly anymore. Between covid shots effecting some flight staff, language/communication/attendance issues with flight and ground staff/ATC, mechanical, weather, had my share of cancelled flights etc. I just don’t trust it.
very sad for the family to lose 4 members like this. God, be with them all.
I would not board a plane with only an 80 year old pilot.Not all that happy about 80 year old car drivers ;many people have slow reflexes at that age.
Yep, I’m 65 and quit flying four years ago for that reason. Reflexes slowing down and you can’t afford that flying up here in AK.
I’ve flown as a passenger in 4 seat planes a couple times. One time was a round trip, a few hours each way. “To” ended in a night landing at a medium-small airport, and “from” involved dodging some pretty impressive scattered thunderstorms on the way back. Kerry Livgren’s “mountains in the sky” for sure!
The other flight was shorter = probably around 1-1/2 hours, mostly above the Shawnee National Forest. The pilot, my Dad’s boss to be, was a very experienced ex-fighter pilot. He didn’t do anything really extreme, but, we did do some “interesting” (sharp) banking so my Dad could better see some of the stuff on the ground, in the hills, and so on. I was seated behind my Dad, so I got those good views too. I was 10 y/o, so, it was great stuff! ;-)
RIP to the victims in this crash. Proportionately, I’ll bet 80 year old pilots turn out to be somewhat less safe to fly with... :-(
I taught my ex wife enough to get us down and probably not wreck my aircraft, but get us down alive if I went physically belly up in the air. She never had the desire to become truly proficient. New wife refused to fly with me ever,and does not care for flying least it be a big commercial jet. Problem solved.
Poor judgment getting on a plane with an 80 year old pilot.
That right there explains why I never fly on small planes. And that decision has probably already saved my life. I had some business to attend to with in Palm Beach County years ago along with a friend of mine, Tom. However, as we went past a small private airport, Tom asked me if I would like to fly on an ULTRALIGHT plane since he was a nut for flying those. I told him NO and especially NO since it was quite windy that day. Then Tom starting begging me to go up in an ULTRALIGHT. He offered to pay the entire rental cost but I still replied NO . Yeah, Tom got real pissed off at me but the next day I found out that an ULTRALIGHT from the same airport had crashed soon after Tom was begging me to go aboard an ULTRALIGHT. I believe one person died and the other person got smashed up pretty bad.
So I count that right there in the Saving My Life column. Oh, and I also don't go on helicopter flights as well. I only fly in commercial passenger jets.
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