Pilot dies after ASL plane crashes

The Cessna 206 plane, bearing registration markings 8R-GFM which crashed. (Photo from Capt. Miles Williams’ Facebook page)
The Cessna 206 plane, bearing registration markings 8R-GFM which crashed. (Photo from Capt. Miles Williams’ Facebook page)

An Air Services Limited (ASL) pilot died in today’s crash of one of its planes travelling between Chi-Chi and Mahdia  (Potaro-Siparuni).

He has been identified as Imran Khan.

Stabroek News learnt that communication with the plane and its pilot was lost early this morning and authorities only became aware of the situation when an Emergency Locator Transmitter signal was picked up around 9 am from the Cessna 206 aircraft.  At the time of the crash only the pilot was in the plane.

According to Annette Arjoon-Martins of ASL, soldiers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and others from the aviation sector  left for the site and it has since been confirmed that the pilot perished.

Arjoon-Martins said after authorities became aware of the plane going missing, they immediately launched a search and deployed five of their planes. She added that they were later backed up by helicopters from the GDF and ASL.

During the aerial search by the Special Forces, the plane was spotted.

The body of the pilot is expected to be brought to Georgetown tomorrow.