A Guyanese military pilot helping to ferry a light aircraft from the US to South America was critically injured when the Cessna 210 crashed as it approached the main Howard Hamilton International Airport in Providenciales in The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) on Tuesday, officials said.

Captain Dwight Bonus, known more as a rotor-wing pilot in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), survived the crash as the aircraft went down short of the runway.

The plane had left an airport in Broward County in South Florida, headed to the TCI mid-Tuesday afternoon, when it went down near the airport. Police and TCI aviation officials say the unidentified captain of the aircraft died at the scene, while Bonus is in a critical condition.

In an early Wednesday statement, the Guyanese military stated that Captain Bonus was on vacation while flying the aircraft and has since been evacuated to the US for further medical treatment. The military listed his condition as stable. “Our thoughts are with Captain Bonus and his family during this time, and we extend our support for his full recovery.”

The airport of the tourism-dependent archipelago has since reopened after being closed for a few hours.