Sparendaam plane crash…Aircraft’s insurance does not cover South American territories – GCAA

May 10, 2013 News

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-Operator was advised to take out third party risk
– Aircraft Owners’ Association wants to meet with Ramotar

By Keeran Danny
Insurance for the American-registered aircraft that crashed into a Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara house on April 13, did not include coverage for its operations in South America. Since, Guyana is a South American territory, the operator was advised to be insured against third party risk, and the liability issues resulting from the aircraft crash are viewed as transferring to the charterer of the aircraft.

This is according to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in a press release yesterday. According to the press statement, “Approval was given to Digital World Mapping to operate the specific aircraft to conduct a LiDar Survey for the Amaila Hydropower Project. In that approval the operator was advised that the aircraft must be insured against third party risk.
Detailed examination, based on information provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA has revealed that the insurance coverage for the aircraft did not include coverage for operations in South America. As a consequence the liability issues resulting from the aircraft crash are viewed as devolving to the charterer of the aircraft.”
However, the regulatory agency did not definitively say whether the aircraft operator acted on the advice and insured the aircraft against third party risk.
In fact, Paula Mc Adam, GCAA’s Director of Aviation Safety Regulation, 10 days after the crash, had said that GCAA was unable to ascertain the name of the insurance company. And, normally whenever there are incidents of this type, insurance companies “are usually quick on the scene”.
According to a source, GCAA’s Air Transport Management Department did not verify if the aircraft- owned and piloted by Pierre Angiel of Angiel EnviroSafe, Inc. – was insured and had requested assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration to help in locating the insurance company.
On April 13, the twin-engine Piper Aztec, with registration N27-FT, crashed into Florence Tyndall’s house and also burnt a section of her neighbour Michelle Belle’s house. Tyndall escaped unharmed but Angiel and his passenger Canadian Scientist Nick Dmitriev perished.
It was due to the mishap that some senior officials and the Aviation Safety Regulation Department of the GCAA became aware that the aircraft was operating in Guyana’s airspace, a source said. According to the source, the Air Transport Management Department also did not inform the Aviation Safety Regulation Department that the aircraft was operating in Guyana.

Without denying that its Aviation Safety Regulation Department was not informed about the aircraft, GCAA said, “Among the duties of the Aviation Safety Regulation Directorate is the requirement to carry out ramp inspections of aircraft operating in Guyana. The ramp inspection entails inspection of the aircraft records and a walk around of the aircraft to ascertain that there are no obvious defects on its exposed surfaces, both external and internal.
There is no requirement for the Authority to carry out an in-depth examination of any foreign registered aircraft unless there is suspicion or knowledge that there may be problems with the aircraft. As a signatory of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Chicago Convention, Guyana is obliged to accept the documentation provided by another signatory country regarding the airworthiness status of that country’s aircraft.”
According to a source, had the Aviation Safety Regulation Department been knowledgeable of the aircraft, one of the records that would have been examined is the logbook. This would have disclosed the date of the aircraft’s last inspection. But, what was written in the logbook remains a mystery, because it was destroyed in the crash.
GCAA said that it was never made aware that this particular aircraft had any problems prior to the date of the crash. But it remains a mystery as to how the GCAA could have been aware that the aircraft had problems if no inspection was carried out.
“If concerns were raised with the Authority, action would have been taken to ensure that the problems were rectified before it was allowed to continue operating in our airspace. Failing this, then the Authority would have been in gross dereliction of duty.”
In defending the absence of the ramp inspection the GCAA said that “even if a ramp inspection had been conducted it would not have revealed the defects that were subsequently revealed when the aircraft started to fly in Guyana.”
The regulatory body said that prior to conducting interviews it was gathering information, during which it took some time to determine who the eyewitnesses were and who would be other persons of interest who could provide information that would contribute to the accident investigation.

Mr. Charles Hutson was one of the first witnesses interviewed in relation to the aircraft crash. His interview provided valuable insight into the aircraft operation and the pilot, as he was one of the few persons who had had a conversation with the pilot.
Hutson during an interview with this publication said that the plane, like many aircraft, after a number of years, had some defects. He said that Angiel had mentioned two defects to him.
Hutson said that Angiel was concerned that the light of the undercarriage lock of the aircraft was not working. As such, Angiel was unable to determine when the undercarriage was locked or open. In addition, the auto pilot electrical system socket was ‘popping’, interfering with the circuit breaker.
And importantly, Hutson confirmed earlier reports in this publication that two days prior to the crash, the right engine of the aircraft ‘popped’ when it took off from Ogle Airport. Angiel was expected to return after the flight to repair that flaw. According to a source, when Angiel was warned about the engine problem he brushed it off.
Hutson did not comment on whether the aircraft was airworthy, but said that Angiel should have had a mechanic on board, taking into consideration the state of the aircraft and the fact that no aviation workshop in Guyana is permitted to repair an FAA-registered aircraft.
This incident has raised concerns among members of the local Aircraft Owners Association who have written to President Donald Ramotar.
The Association is worried that the aircraft entered Guyana without proper due diligence being carried out by the GCAA. The letter pointed out that GCAA should not be the body conducting the investigations since they are the subject of investigation. And the regulations provide for the President to direct the investigations.
Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon during his post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday at the Office of the President said that Government has been in receipt of many letters making similar observations and they would be attended to.
Dr. Luncheon indicated that the letter from the Association may incite an engagement with the President.
“And, let us wait to see what happens. Let’s not jump the gun and pull out an investigation from out of our back pockets as the next step in trying to get some clarity in what transpired with the approval mechanism for this ill-fated aircraft,” Dr. Luncheon added.
He said that Cabinet makes the final decision whether an aircraft – international or domestic – operates in Guyana.
“When the regulatory body, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, makes a recommendation it is almost always to go ahead and to approve and endorse the grant of the licences. If GCAA is not supportive it never comes to Cabinet, it dies right there in the regulatory body,” Dr. Luncheon said.

 

 

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