NASSAU, Bahamas >> A small plane carrying 11 people crashed near the Bahamas on Tuesday, killing a 77-year-old U.S. man, authorities said.

The Navajo Chieftain operated by Ferguson Air had departed the island of Eleuthera and was preparing to land in New Providence when it crashed, Superintendent Paul Rolle said.

Police said the pilot apparently alerted officials that he was having problems and tried getting the plane close to shallow water before it lost power some 550 feet (170 meters) from the coast.

The plane was serving as a charter for Bahamas-based Southern Air.

Police have not yet identified the man who died or his hometown. The other passengers were hospitalized, but their conditions were not immediately known.

Divers from a nearby aquatic sports business helped rescue the survivors, authorities said.