Gov’t orders more inspections of domestic aircraft, pilots

Aug 29, 2017 News

– Weather conditions prevent extraction of latest crash victim

In light of three recent plane crashes in the hinterland—two of which were fatal, the

Dead: Captain Imran Khan

government has ordered the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to conduct frequent checks and inspections of domestic aircraft and its pilots.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said that Director of the GCAA, Egbert Field, was asked for more inspections to be done on aircraft, the pilots and the facilities they use to ensure there is higher level of safety in these operations.
On Sunday, Captain Imran Khan, an Air Services Limited (ASL) pilot, was killed when the Cessna 206 aircraft he was flying between Chi-Chi and Mahdia, Region Eight, went down in thick vegetation, in the vicinity of the Kaieteur Falls Gorge.
“We are calling on the Director to increase the level of investigation and oversight over all of the operators to ensure that the serviceability of these aircraft are checked; that the time and hours of the pilots…which they fly… must also be checked, and this must not just be a one-off check but a regular check, and also time and again, what we call ramp checks [random checks],” Harmon said.
The minister added that safety is a major concern for the administration, and it is for this reason that the government has been expending money in the development of airstrips, particularly those located in the hinterland regions.
Yesterday, a team from the Accident and Emergency Unit of the GCAA were taken to the crash site where they began their first assessment.
The pilot’s body, according to information received, was found partially crushed—lying not far the wreckage. It is suspected that after the plane fell out of the sky, he was flung out of the aircraft due to the impact and died on the spot.
It was expected that the pilot’s remains would have been brought to the Ogle Airport early yesterday, but the Guyana Defence Force, in a search and rescue update later in the day, indicated that this was not possible due to unfavourable conditions.
“The Search and Rescue team deployed to Region # Eight has reported terrible weather conditions and loss of sunlight causing delays in the extraction. After feverish attempts the rescue pilots were unable to have a visual of

The aircraft Captain Khan was flying when he lost his life.

the extraction point. It is anticipated that the mission will be completed tomorrow (today) depending on the harsh mountainous and weather conditions,” the Army disclosed.
Khan was shuttling between the two villages and was scheduled to land at Mahdia at 08:47 hrs when the accident occurred.
Field said that at 09:08 hrs on Sunday, the emergency locator signal from the aircraft, bearing registration number, 8R-GFM ASL was picked up. He noted that just after lunch, an aircraft, looking for the crash site, spotted the wreckage and a Search and Rescue Team from the GDF was deployed to the area where they later confirmed that the pilot had died.
Khan, who was operating solo at the time, had been flying for 17 years and flew between Chi-Chi and Mahdia, almost daily.
Yesterday afternoon, the GCAA in a release said that the investigation by the agency will examine all possible areas that could have contributed to the occurrence of the latest accident, including weather conditions, the pilot’s flight and duty hours, and the type of operations Khan was conducting.
The GCAA was informed that the pilot was on his second shuttle mission for the day at the time of the accident.
In the release, Field noted that surveillance and inspection of air operators, aircraft and other aspects of aviation operations will continue with more frequency.
Furthermore, a meeting will be held with the all domestic operators tomorrow to discuss safety issues and other matters in light of this latest accident.
Just last month, Roraima Airways’ Chief pilot, Captain Collin Martin died when the Britten-Norman Islander aircraft he was attempting to land at the Eteringbang airstrip, nose-dived into thick vegetation, a short distance from the runway. The 40-year-old pilot, who was at the time was also flying solo, was shutting fuel for miners when his plane crashed.
Earlier this month, Captain Dominic Waddell of Wing’s Aviation survived a plane crash at Eteringbang; just days after Captain Martin lost his life. He was on a shuttling mission in the area when his plane went down.
And, in December 2014, an ASL aircraft disappeared in the jungle shortly after taking off for Karisparu, in the Potaro-Siparuni. Pilot Nicky Persaud, 27, and cargo-handler David Bisnauth 51, were on a shuttling mission on the Britten Norman Islander (8R-GHE) when it vanished with both men.