Plane Stolen from Placencia Airport Crash Lands; Pilots Die
Did an attempt to steal an aircraft for the purpose of narco-trafficking go horribly wrong this morning? Often times, reports of crash landings involve cargo being offloaded and removed from the area before the plane is either torched or refuelled and leaves Belizean airspace. But earlier today, in the cover of dark, an aircraft used by a domestic airline was reportedly stolen by armed thieves in Placencia. A security guard at the airport was accosted and tied up before two men took command of a single-engine plane. There was liftoff, but the pilots did not get too far because the aircraft crash landed nearby and burst into flames. Both men perished in the fire. Police are investigating the incident, which has signs of foiled narco trafficking. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Those were the cries for help by two persons, believed to be the pilot and co-pilot, who were trapped inside a burning airplane in Placencia, around four a.m. today. The intense heat emanating from the landing site prevented first responders from getting to the men who later perished in the blaze.
Duane Moody
Duane Moody
“The bodies have been removed and at this time, law enforcement officers are removing the charred remains of that aircraft from the scene.”
Nigel Carter
Nigel Carter, Director of Civil Aviation
“This morning we were advised that there was an aircraft involved in an accident. The aircraft was on fire and so we communicated with the police and are here to support them, basically.”
Duane Moody
“At what time did this call come through sir?”
Nigel Carter
“The call came through about five-thirty this morning. Preliminarily we understand that the aircraft is one that belongs to one of the local operators. We haven’t checked that to guarantee that that is the case because we would have to look at the identification plates on the aircraft so that hasn’t happened as yet and as such we cannot give you a definitive answer as to the registration of the aircraft.”
News Five understands that the Cessna Caravan turboprop aircraft was valued at approximately three million US dollars and was reportedly being leased at twenty thousand U.S. dollars monthly. Director of Civil Aviation Nigel Carter explains why the plane appeared suspicious.
Nigel Carter
“It wasn’t during operational hours, it wasn’t an actual civil aviation flight or a commercial flight and as such, we yield to the police. We have certain agreements with the police so that in the instance of situations where it falls outside of normal operations, we support the police in the investigation activities. We know that we are working with Maya Island Air for now. Again, like I mentioned just now, we don’t have any surety that the aircraft did belong to them. We supposed that it is one of their aircraft. We know that the aircraft is not with the company right now and so there is a fair supposition that it’s one of their aircraft. But again, until you see the nameplates on the aircraft, the identification plates on the aircraft, then you will be able to say with surety that that was the aircraft.”
Reports are that in the dead of night, two boats transporting over a dozen persons approached the airstrip in Placencia. The security guard was tied up and the aircraft stolen. Shortly after liftoff, the plane clipped a lamppost and crash landed in bushes near mile twenty-one on the Placencia Road. News Five has been reliably informed that an Argentinean passport was recovered from one of the deceased men, believed to be narco-traffickers.
Hilberto Romero
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“Investigation revealed that a security guard who was working at the airstrip was approached by four male persons armed with firearms who tied him up and thereafter he heard the sounds of an aircraft started and then thereafter he heard a loud bang and an explosion. Police are conducting an investigation. The area is being searched at this time for evidence. So far, recovered are two human remains. Those have been extracted and taken to the morgue for a post-mortem examination.”
Reporter
“Is the security guard being questioned?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“Yes he is a part of the investigation. He is making a report that he was held up at gunpoint and tied up, so we are looking at that.”
Reporter
“Is there any indication how they reached there? We have heard anecdotal reports that they arrived at the airstrip by boat.”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“We cannot confirm how they arrived. That’s a part of the investigation. All we have right now is that they approached the security guard and tied him up.”
While ACP Hilberto Romero could not confirm how the men accessed the airport and subsequently the aircraft. We are told that surveillance footage captured them approaching by sea and that the suspected narco-traffickers were staying at a hotel not too far from the police station in Placencia Village. We say suspected narcos because evidence has been recovered that points to illegal activity.
ACP Hilberto Romero
“We are looking at it from all angles. Several items were recovered from the remains of the aircraft and those are being analyzed and we will have a further report as to what all was found on the aircraft.”
Reporter
“From what you all know so far, are the pilots Belizeans?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“We do not know at this time; we do not know their identities as yet.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
The damage to the nearby lamppost caused power outages along the peninsula, but Belize Electricity Limited is reporting that as of three-forty-five p.m., its technicians were able to replace the damaged infrastructure and power was restored.
