Deadly helicopter crash: Guyana Govt to meet with US Transportation and Safety Board on Wednesday

…as probe on black box reaches final stage

The examination of the black box from the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Bell 412 helicopter, which contains information surrounding the circumstances that led to the tragic December 6, 2023 crash is in the final stages.
The black box was handed over to the United States (US) National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) back in December 2023 for the retrieval of data following a crash that claimed the lives of Brigadier (Retired) Gary Beaton; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Shahoud; Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, and Sergeant Jason Khan.
Two soldiers survived the crash: Corporal Dwayne Jackson and Lieutenant Andio Crawford.
During a brief telephone interview with this publication on Saturday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said that Government has one more engagement with NTSB before the findings from the black box are handed over to the relevant authorities.
Guyana Times understands that the meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

“The report is at its final stage and once that meeting takes place, the next step is that all the stakeholders, we’d have to send the report to all the stakeholders to their comment. And after they would have made their comment, then it can be published according to the Article 13 instructions of the ICO regulations,” Edghill shared.
Responding to questions about the whether or not the black box was severely damaged as a result of the helicopter crash, Edghill explained that reports from NTSB will provide clarity of all speculations circulating in the public sphere.
“I’m saying the black box is with the NTSB and they will tell us finally what information is available and what is not available,” he added.
On December 6, the Bell 412 helicopter, with registration 8R-AYA, left GDF Headquarters at Camp Ayanganna at 09:24h, and travelled 144 miles to Olive Creek, where it arrived at 10:27h. After refuelling, the helicopter departed at 10:58h for a 58-mile journey to Arau, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) near Guyana’s border with Venezuela.
Contact was lost with the aircraft, and an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) alert was received about 11:19h.

The GDF had 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”. The specified helicopter possesses an unladen weight of 3207kg, an internal payload capacity of 2190kg, a maximum total weight of 5398kg, and a cargo hook capability of 2041kg.
The Bell 412 EPI helicopter also had a system designed to warn the pilot of obstacles ahead, enabling them to take evasive measures. However, it has been disclosed by the GDF that only the aircraft’s black box holds the potential to offer insights into this capability.
Lieutenant Crawford and Corporal Jackson were finally extracted from the crash site after two days and multiple thwarted attempts by the search-and-rescue team to rescue them. Adverse weather conditions in the mountains of Region Seven had posed a multitude of challenges for the survivors to be rescued.
Brigadier Beaton was the project engineer; Colonel Shahoud, an Attorney-at-Law, was Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion; Lieutenant Colonel Charles was the pilot; Lieutenant Colonel Welcome was the Commanding Officer of the Reserve Battalion; and Staff Sergeant Khan was from the 31 Special Forces Squadron.
Based on reports, the helicopter suffered significant damage, particularly in the fuselage, with only a few pieces remaining. (G1)