Aviation community says farewell to pilot killed in recent plane crash

TIMES INT'L

The aviation fraternity turned out in their numbers at the annex of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown to bid farewell to the late Captain Imran Khan, latest pilot to have perished in a plane crash in Guyana’s hinterland region.

Relatives and friends at Captain Khan’s funeral service on Wednesday prior to the body leaving for the Essequibo Coast

After a public viewing held at the CIOG’s annex, the body was flown to Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast, where Captain Khan was buried according to Islamic rites.
Air Services Limited held a memorial service on Tuesday night for their fallen captain, 41-year-old Imran Khan, resident of the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, who had been attached to Air Services Limited (ASL), and had been flying from Chi-Chi to Mahdia when the Cessna 206 (8R-GFM) aircraft went down on Sunday.
Flying solo, Captain Khan had reportedly been expected to arrive at Mahdia at 08:47h, but had been a ‘no show’. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal that was emitted from the crashed aircraft, and picked up at 09:08h, was identified as coming from an area west of Mahdia.
A rescue operation involving the Guyana Defence Force’s 31 Special Forces Squadron was immediately mounted, but because of the mountainous terrain, search-and-rescue (SAR) operators had to trek to the crash site, where they found the lifeless body of Captain Imran Khan.
Preliminary reports suggest that the aircraft may have crashed into a mountain before diving into the heavy jungle. The aircraft is badly mangled, and it is believed that Captain Khan may have been pitched from the plane following the impact.
Due to the conditions of the terrain, the rescue team had to trek for approximately 3 hours, cutting through thick vegetation, to reach the crash site from the landing zone.
The investigation by the Accident and Incident Investigation Group (AIG) will examine all possible circumstances that could have contributed to the occurrence of this latest accident, including weather conditions, pilot’s flight and duty hours, and the type of operations the pilot was conducting.

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