A Christian mission-owned airplane carrying critical aid supplies crashed in the mountains of Haiti with no survivors.
Agape Flights lost contact with N316AF Embraer 110 Bandeirante over the mountains of Jeremie, Haiti, on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 5.
Chief Executive Officer Allen Speer, of Agape Flights, tearfully confirmed the tragic news on Friday and said no further information was known at this time. He also paid tribute to those lost and the families involved.
“It's with heavy hearts that we want to share an update that has shaken our entire Agape Flights community,” said Speer.
Speer said the airplane has “dropped off radar over Jeremy, Haiti,” and an extensive search and rescue effort had been launched, both night and day. The wreckage of the aircraft was discovered in unknown circumstances that afternoon.
“At this time, we do not have information regarding what led to the aircraft's disappearance,” said Speer.
“What we do know, and what we share with you in profound sorrow, is that we do not believe that there were any survivors.”
Speer said on behalf of the mission organisation that “our hearts are broken.”
“We grieve deeply for the families of the pilots who are now enduring an unimaginable loss. And we ask you, our family, to lift them up in prayer for strength when the weight feels unbearable, for comfort when there are no words, and for God's peace to surround them in every moment.”
Agape Flights works as a nonprofit aviation ministry taking critical aid to support missionaries in Haiti, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
Speer asked for prayer over the entire Agape Flights family.
“In moments like these, we hold tightly to who we are and what we believe,” he said. “Our core beliefs remain our anchor. We listen. We respond. God always delivers. Even now in sorrow and in uncertainty, we're choosing to trust that God will deliver us through this season, even when we cannot yet understand His ways. God's word reminds us, ‘Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’”
Speer added that for the privacy and the dignity of all involved, the mission organisation will not be releasing names or additional information at this particular time.
“We ask for your understanding, your grace, and your continued prayers,” he said.
St Kitts & Nevis Observer reported the wreckage as being found between the cities of Jérémie and Les Cayes after allegedly flying in bad weather. It is thought the aircraft was seen by a search helicopter in the mountains of the Grand’Anse region.
The newspaper also reported that a search party comprising the Joint Rescue and Coordination Center/Search and Rescue (JRCC/SAR), an entity of the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC), immediately mobilised its partners and several regional rescue agencies to initiate the initial response.
