Search and rescue mission yet to reach aircraft crash site

Last Updated on Saturday, 11 April 2026, 21:28 by Denis Chabrol

The search and rescue mission is yet reach the crash site of a Cessa aircraft in Imbaimadai  almost two days after the plane went down in that rugged and thickly forested area, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said Saturday.

“The crashed aircraft is situated on a steep escarpment, presenting significant challenges to ground and air rescue teams. Access and recovery efforts are being substantially impeded by dense tropical vegetation and the steep terrain in the affected area,” the civil aviation regulatory agency said in a statement.

Well-placed sources told Demerara Waves Online News Saturday night that reinforcements were flown in earlier in the day. “They have been inserted on the mountain so tomorrow (Sunday)at first light they will move again.The slope is harsh and dangerous,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

The Authority said GDF special forces personnel were working diligently and with great urgency to identify and establish a viable access route to the crash site. The GCAA assured the public and all stakeholders that that matter was being treated with the utmost seriousness and priority.

The GCAA said the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation has identified an accident investigator in charge, who, together with a team of trained investigators, has been dispatched to the crash site of the Air Services limited (ASL) Cessna 206 aircraft, located in the vicinity of Imbaimadai.

The plane went down with the pilot, the lone occupant, Friday morning.

The GCAA said the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (SARCC) remained fully operational and was providing critical logistical and operational support to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and all other agencies engaged in the response operation.

The Authority said the Director General of the GCAA, Lt. Col. (ret’d) Egbert Field, the Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan,along with senior members of the GDF hierarchy, have been fully briefed and are receiving continuous updates on developments on the ground. The GCAA added that all relevant authorities remained engaged were actively overseeing the coordinated response.