On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces completed the challenging mission of recovering the body of Nicaraguan pilot Rider Alberto Castillo from a remote, thickly forested crash site in Guyana’s interior. The remains were airlifted first to the small community of Imbaimadai, then transferred onward to Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara by late Tuesday afternoon, according to sources familiar with the recovery operation.
The recovery mission came five days after the single-engine Cessna 8R-YAC, operated by domestic Guyanese carrier ASL, lost contact with air traffic controllers and crashed during a flight on the morning of Friday, April 11. After contact was abruptly severed, search teams launched an urgent aerial hunt for the missing aircraft. Searchers eventually spotted the twisted wreckage of the plane tucked in dense, mushroom-shaped jungle on a dangerous sloping ridge, a terrain so rugged that ground access required elite specialized forces.
When search teams reached the crash site, they found Castillo’s remains in an advanced state of decomposition. In an official statement released Monday, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the country’s civil aviation regulator, confirmed that all evidence at the scene indicates Castillo died instantly when the plane crashed. “Based on the condition and position of the remains at the time of discovery, all indications are that death occurred instantly at the time of the accident,” the statement read.
Along with recovering the pilot’s remains, the joint recovery team also collected personal documents, private belongings, and other physical evidence from the wreckage. All recovered items will be turned over to investigators to support the ongoing official probe into what caused the crash.
The GCAA publicly praised the GDF personnel and supporting agencies that carried out the high-risk recovery. “We take this opportunity to commend the men and women of the Guyana Defence Force and all supporting agencies, who continue to carry out this operation with courage, professionalism, and discipline under extremely challenging conditions,” the regulator said.
ASL, the airline that employed Castillo, has released a heartfelt tribute honoring the former Nicaraguan military pilot, who had served the domestic carrier for eight years. The company described Castillo as a “great employee and friend,” and a “dedicated and valued member of our flight crew.”
“He was known for his calm nature and his remarkable ability to turn every challenge into something positive. His professionalism, strength, and quiet leadership earned him the respect of everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him,” the statement continued. “Among his colleagues, he was regarded as a genuine, hardworking individual and one of our finest pilots, always delivering with excellence and reliability. He will be profoundly missed by all of us.”