ASL compensates Matthew’s Ridge plane crash victims

Mar 31, 2014 News

– victims receive $300,000 each

Eight months after the Cessna Caravan 8R-AMS crashed at Matthew’s Ridge, the two passengers who sustained injuries on that flight have been compensated by Air Services Limited (ASL).
During the course of the week, the two passengers, Clinton Campbell, 30, and Troy Henry, 25, both received $300,000 cheques from ASL for minor injuries sustained and trauma endured as a result of the accident.
The two men had claimed the flight encountered problems after takeoff and during the landing process.
Campbell at that time was a father of two, while his wife was expecting a third child. The injuries he sustained had prevented him from providing financial support for his family.

Captain Feriel Ally

Attorney at Law, Melvin Duke, who represented the two men, told Kaieteur News that his clients are content with the compensation, noting that it is with great difficulty that any form of compensation is ever obtained in Guyana.
At first, ASL was prepared to pay the passengers GY$150,000 but raised the amount to GY$200,000 after the passengers expressed their dissatisfaction with the initial sum.
However, the attorney and his clients demanded further compensation. Duke had said the plane ticket stated that passengers can claim a maximum of US$50,000 ($GY10M) once the aircraft is involved in any one accident, while the airline could pay out up to US$2M ($GY40M).
The pilot, Captain Feriel Ally, and nine passengers were injured in July, 2013, when the aircraft went down near the Mathews Ridge airstrip.
Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn had told Kaieteur News late last year that he had received a report on the findings of an investigation into the crash. However, he had declined to release the findings.
Reports said that the aircraft was flying in heavily overcast conditions. According to initial investigations Captain Feriel Ally was not informed of weather change.
It was said that after arriving at Matthew’s Ridge with poor visibility, the pilot circled the airstrip three times, and while circling a fourth time, one of the wings clipped a tree. She reportedly switched off the fuel pumps as the plane went down.
This, it is believed prevented the plane from bursting into flames when it crashed.
At that time, ASL covered medical bills for the passengers and disbursed approximately $600,000 to cover incidental expenses and transportation costs.

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