GDF yet to reach crash site after 24 hours

Apr 12, 2026 News

A still view of the suspected crash site taken from one of planes involved in the search on Friday morning

(Kaieteur News) – More than 24 hours after an Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft crashed in the rugged Region Eight jungle, rescue teams are still battling to reach the site, raising concerns as the clock ticks for the missing pilot.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) deployed a special forces ground team on Friday shortly after aerial searches confirmed the wreckage. However, treacherous mountainous terrain, dense forest, and steep escarpments have significantly slowed progress.

According to Guyana Civil Aviation Authority head Egbert Field, the aircraft appears to have crashed along a mountainside, complicating access. Despite the delays, the GDF maintains that its team is now within visual proximity of the site, supported by aerial assets including a Bell 429 helicopter.

A pic of the GDF rescue team preparing for take off to the crash site

The GDF in a statement early Saturday assured that its special forces members are “in close proximity of the crash site as operations continue”. A Skyvan Aircraft and the GDF’s Bell 429 helicopter- equipped with a hoist and specialised search and rescue capabilities-are being used in the ongoing operations, the army said. “A ground team from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 31 Special Forces Squadron has been successfully inserted into the general area and has since reach a position within visual proximity of the confirmed crash site of the aircraft 8R-YAC”, The GDF further stated while assuring that further updates will be given as the operation progresses. The GDF noted too that the team is navigating difficult terrain and the presence of escarpment.

A photo taken of the plane during one of its Trip to Mabaruma.

Meanwhile, the country’s opposition leader, Azruddin Mohamed has criticized GDF’s rescue efforts calling it “unfortunate and unacceptable”. In a Facebook post he wrote, “$41.8 billion was budgeted to the Guyana Defence Force, with access to modern aircraft and equipment, yet when it matters most, the response appears slow, disjointed, and ineffective”. He continued that “instead of deploying advanced aerial capabilities”, the GDF “search and rescue team” comprises of only a dozen GDF officers “trekking through dense forested terrain in a situation where every minute counts”.

He described the officers as brave and thanked them for their hard work but said, “With helicopters such as the Bell 407 and Bell 429 at their disposal, along with access to offshore aviation resources equipped for rapid response and extraction, there is no excuse for this delay”. The opposition leader argued that the delay in the mission points to the “lack of trained personnel and operational readiness”.

On the other hand, the Aviation Operators’ Association of Guyana (AOAG) assured in a press release that “all private aircraft operators are rendering full assistance to the national operation in the conduct of the search and now rescue operation”. “The AOAG remains closely in communication and active support with the Guyana Defence Force and offers its prayers for a successful and safe rescue of the pilot of the aircraft”, the association stated. The plane was reportedly being flown by a Nicaraguan National when it crashed while in enroute to Imbaimadia from Mahdia. The GCAA had stated that the aircraft departed Madhia at 08:10hrs with one person on board and was due to arrive at Imbaimadai at 08:40hrs”, but it never did. “It failed to report arrival, prompting a flight progress check at 08:44hrs,” the GCAA said while noting that “weather in the area included heavy rainfall and reduced visibility”.

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Air Services Limited, crash site, GDF, Mabaruma

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