On 6 December 2023, a

Bell 412EP The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been ...

helicopter operated by the

Guyana Defence Force The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is the military of Guyana, established in 1965. It has military bases across the nation. The Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force is always the incumbent President of Guyana. The branches include the Army, Air F ...

crashed in western

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

, killing five out of the seven on board. The crash happened about 30 miles east of Arau near the Venezuelan border. The helicopter carried senior GDF military officers, and was reportedly conducting "border operations". The crash occurred during a

political crisis A cabinet crisis, government crisis or political crisis refers to a situation where an incumbent government is unable to form or function, is toppled through an uprising, or collapses. Political crises may correspond with, cause or be caused by an ...

between Guyana and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

regarding the

Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute There is an ongoing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region, also known as Esequibo or Guayana Esequiba in Spanish (), a area west of the Essequibo River. The territory, excluding the Venezuelan-controlled A ...

. The crash marked the deadliest incident in Guyana's recent military history since the Rupununi uprising in 1969.

Timeline

Under the command of Col. Michael Shahoud, Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion, the helicopter was bound for a military outpost in Arau, situated on the Venezuelan border, to survey GDF defenses in the area, bolstered as a result of the December 2023 Venezuelan Esequiba referendum. The army helicopter was piloted by Lt. Col. Michael Charles, with forty years experience. The GDF Bell helicopter took off from Camp Ayanganna at 08:00. At 11:00, the Bell helicopter stopped for refuelling at Olive Creek Airport, located in central Esequiba. Contact was lost at 11:20, approximately 30 miles east of Arau, near a hamlet of Ekereku, in a mountainous area with dense jungle. On 7 December, at 14:30, the crashed helicopter was found. Five of the seven on board were found dead, with two survivors; Corporal Dwayne Jackson and Lieutenant Colonel Andio Michael Crawford (Special Forces Squadron).

Fatalities

* Col. Michael Shahoud (Commander, 1st Infantry Battalion) Shahoud was of

Indo-Guyanese Indo-Guyanese or Guyanese Indians, are Guyanese nationals of Indian origin who trace their ancestry to India and the wider subcontinent. They are the descendants of indentured servants and settlers who migrated from India beginning in 1838, a ...

descent. In 2018, Shahoud was promoted from Major to Lt. Colonel, as commander of the Guyana Defence Coast Guard. He was promoted to Colonel in February 2023, taking command of the 1st Infantry Battalion, one of three battalions in the GDF. On 17 November, Lt. Col. Shahoud led an induction of new soldiers into the GDF. On 24 November, as commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion, he led a

military delegation to meet senior Brazilian military officials, led by Commander of the 1st Jungle Infantry, Maj. Gen. Paulo Santa Barba, in Georgetown as part of the 26th Regional Meeting of Military Exchange between Guyana and Brazil. * Brig. (Retired) Gary Beaton (Project Engineer, GOG) * Lt. Col. Michael Charles (Pilot) * Lt. Col. Sean Welcome (Reserve Battalion) * Staff Sergeant Jason Khan

Aftermath

Guyanese authorities ruled out a Venezuelan attack, according to Brig. Gen. Omar Khan. The loss of the Bell 412EP helicopter had a significant impact on the Guyana Defence Force's aerial capabilities, as it represented a quarter of their helicopter fleet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guyana Defence Force helicopter crash, 2023 Defence Force helicopter crash 2023 disasters in South America December 2023 in Guyana Aviation accidents and incidents in 2023 Aviation accidents and incidents in Guyana Accidents and incidents involving military helicopters Military history of South America Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute Guyana–Venezuela crisis (2023–present)

Timeline

Fatalities

Aftermath

See also

References