UP to late last evening, teams searching for the missing Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft with its pilot and baggage loader had found neither trace of the downed plane nor of the two persons who were on board. The ASL craft has gone missing since Sunday afternoon.Transport Minister Robeson Benn told the Guyana Chronicle late last evening that the search teams continued their search yesterday at first light, and were relying on reports received from miners in the area detailing what might have happened on Sunday and what they saw and heard.

According to the minister, the teams, facilitated in their search by the use of three choppers and two fixed-wing aircraft, have “triangulated” a search area where they were focusing their attention.
He said they arrived at the “triangulated” area after they spoke with miners and other persons in the area where they believed the plane went down. The minister said miners in the area reported seeing and hearing unusual aircraft activity on Sunday, and they pointed the search teams into the area in which they saw the plane heading.

Minister Benn said that, up to late yesterday afternoon, the search was still confined to the air, and nothing was being done on the ground, since a location for the sighting of the plane has not been determined. Initial reports have suggested that no distress calls had been made by the pilot prior to the plane suddenly losing all communication with the command centre.

In a press release issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Public Works reported that six aircraft were part of the search-and-rescue operation being commanded by the SRC at Timehri and which was activated immediately after it had been confirmed that the aircraft had lost contact with the control centre.

The missing ASL Cessna Britten Norman Islander 8R-GHE was operating on a flight between Mahdia and Karisparu in Region 8, Pataro Siparuni, when the incident occurred. The Works Ministry release confirmed that on board the missing aircraft were 27-year-old Captain Nicky Persaud and 51-year-old baggage loader David Bisnauth.

The Works Ministry has confirmed that the craft took off from Mahdia at approximately 11:42 hrs on Sunday on a routine local cargo flight, and the last known position was spot tracker hit at 11:44hrs. The craft was estimated to arrive at Karisparu at approximately noon.
At 16:20 hrs, the Timehri Air Traffic Control Tower made contact with the aircraft operator to establish if the craft had landed before implementing a search-and-rescue operation. When it was confirmed that the aircraft had not landed, the tower immediately commenced the “Alert Phase” and the Rescue Coordination Centre at Timehri was activated.

Two Air Services Ltd. (ASL) Cessna 208 Caravans flying within the area were vectored to commence search for the aircraft. A Piper Cherokee from Hinterland Aviation also joined the search effort. An ASL Bell Helicopter, moreover, departed Ogle Airport to join the search for the aircraft. The release added that, additionally, an ASL Caravan departed for Mahdia at 16:16 hrs local time with a GDF Special Forces Unit to assist in the search-and-rescue operation.

The search continued until sunset, and the two helicopters and one Cessna Caravan were left at Mahdia. They resumed the search at sunrise yesterday morning.

(Leroy Smith)