Dear Editor,
I learned of an article headlined “Pilot error to be blamed for worst military crash in Guyana,” allegedly authored by Bert Wilkinson and published on the Caribbeanlife.com website on April 18, 2024. Having read the article, I am compelled to respond to it as the article sought to prematurely draw conclusions on an investigation that is still ongoing.
Under Section 71 of the Civil Aviation Act 2018, the Minister for Civil Aviation is entrusted with the responsibility of investigating all aviation accidents and incidents in or above Guyana. In keeping with the provisions of the Act, on December 9, 2023, I appointed an Investigator in Charge to investigate the unfortunate crash of the GDF’s Bell 412 helicopter, registration 8R-AYA, that occurred on December 6, 2023.
Consistent with international standards and best practices, no one can conclusively pronounce the cause of an accident until the investigation is completed and the Final Report is available.
Given that the investigation is still ongoing, it is surprising that the author of the article prematurely concluded that “Pilot error will more than likely be blamed for the horrific early December crash of a Guyana Defence Force helicopter…”. The author’s claim of speaking “to three separate high-ranking Guyanese government officials who all blamed pilot error as the main cause of the crash” is nothing short of sensationalizing the outcome of the investigation.
Since the investigator was appointed, I have not made any public statement on the accident, as I want to respect the investigative process.
I urge the media to wait for the official final report to be published before making any assumptions. Let’s exercise caution and refrain from jumping to conclusions until then.
Yours truly,
Bishop Juan Edghill, MP
Minister of Public Works