The pilot had declared an emergency and then communication with the aircraft was lost, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority in the Bahamas said in a media post. The U.S. Coast Guard and multiple Bahamian agencies were involved in the ensuing search and rescue.
The aircraft crashed about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Florida's Vero Beach Regional Airport at around 12:05 p.m., the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said.
The plane took off from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas and was headed to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport, also in the Bahamas.
The U.S. Coast Guard launched a C-27 aircraft to look for the downed Beechcraft 300 King Air turboprop plane. The rescued passengers were brought in for medical evaluations, the Coast Guard said.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. The FAA said it will investigate.