On May 1st, 2023, the Cessna 206 HK2803 disappeared in the Colombian rain-forest.
Sixteen days later, the aircraft was found. Out of the 7 occupants, 3 died in the accident. The remaining 4 passengers (all aged between 13 and 1), were missing from the crash-site, triggering a massive ground search effort. The search operation, known as Operation Hope, took place in one of the most inhospitable areas of the Colombian Amazon. Against all odds, the children were found alive.
The presentation explains in more detail the search operation itself and our analytic contributions to the find. Specifically, it will be structured into 4 parts: The search for the aircraft, the search for the children, the use of search dogs, and the lessons learned.
Throughout these sections, we will briefly cover the technical aspects of the SAR operation, including analysis, planning, operations, search tactics, air facilities, lost person behavior, and the lessons learned.