Chalk 's International Airlines operated seaplane flights between Miami Harbor and the Bahamas from 1917 , so the company was an island institution for generations . As goods on the island were expensive because of shipping costs , many locals used Chalk 's flights to buy cheaper goods in Florida and take the goods to Bimini . A Grumman Turbo Mallard of Flight 101 was en route to Bimini when it crashed on December 19 , 2005 , killing all 18 passengers and 2 crew ; at least eleven of the passengers were Bimini residents . Locals on Bimini mourned the dead
Flight 101
Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
Bimini