Crashed GDF helicopter was equipped to detect dangerous terrain; flight diverted

Last Updated on Saturday, 9 December 2023, 14:52 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Bell 412Epi helicopter, in which five servicemen died on Wednesday’s crash, was equipped to alert the pilot about obstructions ahead so that he could have taken evasive action but only the aircraft’s black box can provide clues, Air Corps Commander Lieutenant Colonel Mohinder Ramjag said Saturday.

“Yes, there are devices- Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS) and so forth. These are aids or devices-the aircraft is so equipped with this,” he told a news conference. He added that the Cockpit Voice Flight Data Recorder (CVFDR), also known as a black box, would provide details about the flight leading up to the incident. The CVFDR would be sent to the United States for analysis of the voice recorded communications as well as other aspects of the aircraft’s operations such as its altitude. “When that is examined, the questions that you asked will be answered,” in response to a queries about whether the TAWS had alerted the pilot about the escarpment and if the crash was as a result of an external explosion.

He noted that “the aircraft is badly burnt and there are few remaining parts”, based on reports he received from the crash site 3,000 feet above sea level.

Aviation Minister Juan Edghill on Friday said an Accident Investigator has already been appointed and the black box has been removed as part of the probe.

He also said aircraft tracking shows that the helicopter, bearing registration marking 8R-AYA, diverted from one of its intended destinations in Guyana’s interior but there was no immediate idea why that was done. “If you are familiar with the way pilots fly, the ideal route is the direct routing. However, on this day, the pilot deviated to the north and that could be for many reasons and contact was lost in the vicinity of the Blake Slater aerodrome,” he said.

Lt. Col. Ramjag said the aircraft left GDF Headquarters, Camp Ayanganna at 9:24 AM and travelled 144 miles to Olive Creek where it arrived at 10:27 AM. After refuelling, the helicopter departed 10:58 AM for a 58-mile journey to Arau, contact was lost with the aircraft and an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) alert was received at about 11:19 AM.

The GDF said the chopper was on a command trip to Arau, Macapa and Eteringbang, as part of Guyana’s response to an “imminent threat to our territory,” according to Defence Force Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Omar Khan.

The The helicopter has an empty weight of 3,207kg, an internal useful load of 2,190kg, a maximum gross weight of 5,398kg, and a cargo hook capacity of 2,041kg. Its aluminium alloy fuselage has a loading space of 6.8m³, while its cabin has a volume of 6.2m³. It is operated by a single pilot and accommodates up to 13 persons.

Lt. Col. Ramjag said the aircraft, which had three crew members and four passengers, had a maximum take-off weight of 11,400 pounds (5,397 kilogrammes). “We were way below our max take-off weight for this light,” he said.

The two survivors and bodies of the five deceased were hoisted by the other GDF Bell 412 Epi helicopter, bearing registration marking 8R-MIA. “They were all winched out of the crash site, flown to Blake Slater airstrip and then transported to Georgetown with the GDF (Britten Norman) Islander and SkyVan,” Operations Officer, Lt. Col, Andy Pompey.

Lt. Col. Ramjag said the entire fuselage- the main area of the helicopter- was badly burnt. That has lead to speculation that four of the servicemen jumped out of the helicopter, but two of them survived.

Force Medical Officer, Lt. Col. Nigel Langhorne, who was among the first responders to see the injured servicemen shortly after they were rescued from the dense jungle in a 3,00o foot-high mountainous area, said they were assessed at the Blake Slater aerodrome and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. “From the inception, there was an indication that they were in good medical condition. On further examination at the Georgetown Public Hospital, we were able to confirm what is actually going on with them and I’m happy to report that there was no injury of significance. They are all in good medical condition,” he said.

Mr Langhorne said the injured were being supported by their families.

Now that the medical examinations have confirmed that the two servicemen are in good condition, the Chief-of-Staff said they would be de-briefed by investigators.

Search and Rescue efforts immediately after the ELT signal was received on Wednesday and on Thursday morning were hampered by bad weather, GDF officers said.