All recommendations arising from the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) internal investigation into the December 2023 Bell 412 helicopter crash that claimed the lives of five servicemen have been implemented, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan confirmed on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, Brigadier Khan addressed the steps taken following the military’s Board of Inquiry into the incident.
“All the recommendations, all the findings of our internal investigation have been acted upon,” he told reporters.
The internal inquiry, conducted in accordance with GDF protocols, is distinct from the formal investigation led by the Ministry of Public Works. Brigadier Khan explained that under Guyanese law, the Ministry is responsible for directing a designated investigative body to examine such incidents.
“We were a stakeholder in that investigation,” Khan noted, adding that the full findings of the substantive probe would be shared with the public once the official report is finalised and released.
The fatal crash occurred on December 6, 2023, and resulted in the deaths of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Retired Brigadier Gary Beaton, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, and Warrant Officer Class Two Jason Khan. The group was part of a seven-member crew aboard the army’s Bell 412 aircraft.
The two survivors of the crash were identified as Corporal Dwayne Jackson and Lieutenant Andio Crawford.
The helicopter had been operating near Guyana’s western border, roughly 30 miles from Venezuela, when communication was lost. Approximately two hours after takeoff, an emergency locator transmitter signal was emitted from coordinates around 30 miles east of Arau.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately. The following day, the crash site was located about nine miles southeast of Blake Slater’s airstrip at Ekereku Top, along the Cuyuni River. It was there that rescue teams confirmed the loss of five lives.
The helicopter’s black box, which contains critical flight data, was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C., for analysis. It is not yet known if the results of that analysis have been returned.
