The findings of the internal investigation into the crash of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Bell 412 helicopter, which claimed the lives of five soldiers in December 2023, were all acted upon, Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, said on Thursday.
However, the findings of the substantive probe into the accident have not yet been released.
The Brigadier spoke about the GDF’s Board of Inquiry done after the crash, at a press conference on Thursday.
“All the recommendations, all the findings of our internal investigation have been acted upon,” Brigadier Khan told reporters.
Five confirmed dead following crash of army helicopter
In keeping with its protocols, the GDF established a Board of Inquiry into the crash that occurred on December 6, 2023. This is different from the substantive probe undertaken.
“We were a stakeholder in that investigation. By the nature of Guyana’s law, the Ministry of Public Works has that mandate to direct an investigative body to investigate that incident,” Brigadier Khan said.
He said the findings will be made available once the official report is released.
The crash claimed the lives of five servicemen. They are: Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Retired Brigadier Gary Beaton, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, and Warrant Officer Class 2, Jason Khan.
They were part of a seven-member crew on board the army’s Bell 412 helicopter.
The helicopter’s black box, which consists of the aircraft’s flight information, has been sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, United States, for analysis.
Fatal GDF helicopter crash: Black box sent overseas for analysis
It remains unclear whether the results have since been returned.
As the soldiers were 30 miles from the Venezuela border, the signal for the helicopter was lost. About two hours after take-off, the aircraft transmitted an emergency locator transmitter signal from coordinates approximately 30 miles east of Arau on Guyana’s western borders.
Search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to locate the crew members and the aircraft.
And the following day, after strenuous efforts, the team found the crash site about nine miles southeast of Blake Slater’s airstrip, Ekereku Top, Cuyuni River, and then confirmed that five soldiers died.
The two soldiers who survived the crash are Corporal Dwayne Jackson and Lieutenant Andio Crawford.
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