2023 Guyana Defence Force helicopter crash
A Bell 412 similar to the one involved in the incident | |
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | 6 December 2023 |
| Summary | Crashed, under investigation |
| Site | 48 km (30 miles) east of Arau, Guyana |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Bell 412EP |
| Operator | Guyana Defence Force |
| Registration | 8R-AYA |
| Flight origin | Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown, Guyana |
| Destination | Arau, Guyana |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Survivors | 2 |
On 6 December 2023, a Bell 412EP helicopter operated by the Guyana Defence Force crashed in western Guyana, 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 between Guyana and Venezuela regarding the Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute. The crash marked the deadliest incident in Guyana's recent military history since the Rupununi uprising in 1969.