Following three days of aerial searches without luck in locating the US-registered plane that went missing over the Cuyuni area, Minister of Public Works & Communication Robeson Benn last evening announced that the search for the craft will from today be done mainly on the ground.
However, two aircraft with special sensor equipment belonging to Dynamic Aviation, the US- based company that owns the missing aircraft, will continue with the aerial search along with a helicopter. The company announced last evening that one of the two fixed wing aircraft would have continued work in the area last night as it is equipped with special equipment to facilitate work in the night.
Speaking at a briefing held at the Control Tower of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, last evening Minister Benn pointed out that for the first time locally there were some eight aircraft involved in a search and rescue operation on the first day. He said on the second day seven aircraft were involved while yesterday five were involved. The minister said it is not sensible to continue the full-scale aerial search and he said more persons would be dispatched on ground to continue the quest in conjunction with the two aircraft and helicopter. He said that contact would be made with miners in the area and they will also assist in the ground search. According to the minister the search has to be more comprehensive and there needs to be direction on where the search would be concentrated.
The Beech King Air N87V, was last heard from at around 3.06 pm on Saturday, and a full-scale search and rescue mission, coordinated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) Rescue Coordination Centre, was launched after the plane’s disappearance, with Senior Air Traffic Control Officer Roy Sookhoo as the search and rescue coordinator. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Air Corps and Special Forces led the search from the first day but one of the helicopters has since malfunctioned. And the two British Royal Air Force helicopters that were on the search the first and second day have since left to continue their work in the training of local army personnel. .
The GCAA had reported that no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal, no updated sport tracker report, no verbal communication, including radio communication with Air Traffic Control and no satellite communication report had been received since the aircraft was declared missing. Additionally, no indication of a crash, smoke, or remnants of a crash fire had been observed.
Americans James Wesley Barker, 28, and Chris Paris, 23, the Captain and First Officer, respectively, were on board the plane along with Canadian Patrick Murphy, a geophysics technician, when it disappeared. The aircraft was chartered from Dynamic Aviation Inc by Terraquest Ltd to conduct geophysical surveys on behalf of Prometheus Resources (Guyana) Inc, a subsidiary of the Toronto-based U3O8 Corporation.
Last evening Director of the GCAA, Zulfikar Mohamed, said that while normally the ELT signal is expected to be triggered on impact there may be some reason why it may not go off from time to time and it could be presumed that there was no impact. He also explained that the aircraft is equipped with a special satellite tracking system which is subscribed to by the company that owns it and the last time there was a positive satellite signal was at 14:44 pm on Saturday. Another signal was expected half an hour after that time but there was none.
Meanwhile, when questioned both Minister Benn and Mohamed reported that the two pilots have had experience in flying in Guyana’s interior before. While they would not have flown in the specific location where the plane went missing, Mohamed said they have flown extensively in other areas while conducting geophysical surveys.
And President and Chief Executive Officer of Dynamic Aviation, Michael Stoltzfus, when asked by Stabroek News whether they have any other plans should the plane and its occupants not be located in the near future said that their “commitment remains steadfast.” Questioned about the experience of the two pilots and how long they worked with his company, Stoltzfus said that whenever there is a missing aircraft there is an investigation and as a result details about the experience of the pilots or other matters would only be released after the investigation.
Smoke
Reporting on his day’s activity the captain of one of the aircraft that did an aerial search yesterday said that at one time he observed smoke in the area but upon closer investigation it only turned out to be farm land. He said there are cracks and crevices in some mountainous areas which his aircraft were unable to search and because of the difficult terrain he suggested the more intensive search be done on the ground. And the pilot of the GAMAS aircraft, which volunteered its services for the last three days, reported that the terrain was difficult but getting up to the ridge in the area was like riding a “wild horse it was pretty exciting.”
