Photo: Burnt remains of Maya Island Air plane
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 16, 2023
In a shocking incident near the Placencia peninsula, an airplane crashed and was consumed by flames shortly before dawn on Monday, October 16. The plane, belonging to Maya Island Air, reportedly didn’t get far from the Placencia airstrip before encountering difficulties.
Local authorities, including fire department and police teams, promptly went to the scene near Thunderbirds Marina at Mile 21 on the peninsula road. Despite their rapid response, the plane was already engulfed in flames upon their arrival.
Inside the charred wreckage, two burnt, unidentified bodies were discovered. These bodies have since been taken to the morgue, where a post-mortem examination is underway.
Police investigations reveal that the aircraft had been stolen from the Placencia airstrip around 4:00 o’clock this morning.
“An 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; thereafter he heard the [sound] of an aircraft started and thereafter he heard a loud bang and an explosion,” reported ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander of the Police Department’s Eastern Division.
Speculations are that due to early morning darkness and rain, the pilot of the plane attempted to make its way back to the airstrip. Unfortunately, it clipped a high-tension wire, bringing down a lamp post in the process, before crashing near Thunderbirds Marina.
The impact with the lamp post and subsequent crash into the bushes led to the aircraft bursting into flames. Preliminary reports pointed to the persons on the plane arriving at the scene on a boat; however, police were unable to confirm this, as investigations are ongoing, with no one yet in custody.
The immediate suspicion among residents and authorities is that the aircraft was possibly intended for use in narco-trafficking activities. “We are looking at it from all angles. Several items are recovered from the remains of the aircraft, and those are being analyzed. We will have a further report as to what all was found on the aircraft,” Romero told reporters.
Belize has had its fair share of narco planes in the past, the last one being discovered back in April between Corazon Creek Village and Otoxha Village, Toledo District.