Passengers seek compensation for Matthew’s Ridge plane crash

Jul 21, 2013 News

Attorney-at-Law Melvin Duke says that a statement of claim has been sent to Air Services Limited (ASL) on behalf of two clients seeking compensation for inconveniences caused following a plane crash in Matthew’s Ridge last week.
Clinton Campbell, 30, and Troy Henry, 25, are seeking to be rewarded for minor injuries sustained and trauma endured as a result of the accident.

What was left of Cessna Caravan 8R-AMS after the crash.

Campbell is a father of two and has a pregnant wife. He said he is unable to work because he received injuries to his hand. Henry also received injuries. The men were onboard the Cessna Caravan 8R-AMS when it went down in the North West District on Monday.
Campbell told Kaieteur News that he and the other person had joined the flight at the Ogle Airport and were on their way to a place called ‘Fine Gold’ outside Matthew’s Ridge. They are miners working on a land dredge operating in the area.
As a result of their injuries, Campbell said his employer contacted the Attorney to discuss the legalities of the matter.
Duke told Kaieteur News that so far, his office is awaiting a reply from the ASL in relation to the claim letter. According to the information his clients have related he said there the air service company might have to take some responsibility.
He said that his clients mentioned irregular occurrences before the flight took off but still it made the journey to the interior. The client also told the lawyer that even before the plane crashed, there were some inconsistencies.
Campbell explained to Kaieteur News that the plane had taken off from Ogle and circled the airport three times before landing and taking to the sky again. He said about a mile from the interior airport, the plane went down low and circled three times.
He said the plane went another distance and circled twice before crashing on the third attempt to circle the airport. Campbell said no one panicked on the plane since many persons had not realized that something irregular was occurring. He said when he looked out the plane it was flying very low. The next thing persons felt, was the impact.
Attorney Duke said that he will be citing the Warsaw Convention which speaks to the rules and regulations of airlines’ coverage for passengers. The Warsaw Convention is an international convention which regulates liability for international carriage of persons, luggage or goods performed by aircraft for reward.
A female pilot and 11 passengers were injured when the aircraft went down. Reports said that the aircraft was flying in heavily overcast conditions. Among those onboard the plane, eight persons received injuries; the pilot, Feriel Ally, Esther Williams and her two-year-old daughter, Jonel, Alona Massay, 27, Naline Dellon, Wesley Johnson, Shellon Williams, Urmella Rajesh and Dexter Benjamin.
Reports are that the pilot was attempting to land in overcast conditions when the mishap occurred. Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, told reporters that there are reports that the aircraft clipped a tree some two and a half miles south of the airstrip.