AN Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft transporting cargo from Mahdia to Karisparu, Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) reportedly went off grid around noon yesterday.The Cessna Britten Norman Islander, bearing the registration number 8R-GHE, had two persons onboard at the time, namely the captain, Nicky Persaud, 27, and cargo loader, Mr David Bisnauth, 51.

According to ASL’s Ms Annette Arjoon-Martins, the aircraft was on one of its regular shuttle flights, and that within 10 minutes of taking off, it had lost communication contact with base.
She said that within half an hour, four other aircrafts were deployed to execute search-and-rescue operations, followed within another hour-and-a-half by two ASL-owned helicopters. The carefully selected aircrafts, she said, were capable of flying “very low and slow,” so as to be able to effectively capture images beneath.
Reports are that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA) activated its Rescue Coordination Centre at the Timehri Control Tower as soon as it was alerted.
However, up to sunset yesterday, despite hours of search and rescue efforts, there was no sign of the aircraft.
Said Arjoon-Martins of the search-and rescue operation, “They combed the areas underneath, but came up with nothing,” even though the aircraft had a ‘spot tracker’ on board.
She added: “They have the full cooperation of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF); the ranks are specially trained in retrieval on the ground, and together, the parties have done all they could have perceivably done to track the missing aircraft, but they have come up with nothing.”
A statement from the GCCA has confirmed that some six aircrafts were deployed in the search-and-rescue mission, including:
* Two ASL Cessna 208 Caravans flying within the area, which were rerouted to commence search for the aircraft;
* A Piper Cherokee from Hinterland Aviation;
* An ASL Bell Helicopter, which departed Ogle Airport to join the search for the aircraft; and
* An ASL Caravan, which departed for Mahdia at 16:16 local time with a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces Unit to assist in the search-and-rescue operation.
According to GCCA, “To date, 6 hours and 40 minutes search time was logged by four fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters… The two helicopters and one Cessna Caravan are at Mahdia, and will recommence search at sunrise tomorrow (today).”
It said that another aircraft from ASL will depart early today to join the search efforts, and take in the GCAA Coordinators and Investigation team.
The GDF helicopter is also reportedly on standby to join the search-and-rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the Timehri Air Traffic Control has since confirmed that it lost communication with the aircraft around noon, resulting in the activation of the Rescue Coordination Centre at the Timehri Control Tower.
According to Air Traffic Control, the Cessna Britten Norman Islander took off from Mahdia at 15:42 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), 11:42 local time, on a routine local cargo flight, and the last known position was Spot Tracker hit at 15:44 UTC, 11:44 local time. The aircraft was estimated to arrive Karisparu at 16:00 UTC, 12:00 local time. At 16:20, Timehri Air Traffic Control made contact with the aircraft operator to establish whether the aircraft landed before implementing a search-and-rescue operation.
After no information was received, Air Traffic Control commenced the ‘alert phase’, and the Rescue Coordination Centre at the Timehri Control Tower was activated.
The search for the twin-engine aircraft is expected to resume the search today.