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Too early to comment on what caused crash landing – Fly Jamaica
Fly Jamaica said yesterday it is cooperating with authorities to determine the cause of the crash-landing of its Boeing 757 aircraft at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Friday.
The airline said it acknowledges the courage of all occupants aboard flight OJ256, in particular those who suffered injuries during the evacuation.
“It is still too early to comment on the cause of the accident, but we are cooperating fully with the investigative authorities in their endeavours to find all the answers. Meanwhile, our immediate focus is on the safe repatriation and welfare of all our passengers,” Fly Jamaica stated.
CJIA and other officials on the site of the crashed Fly Jamaica aircraft
The airline thanked the customers, the Government, CJIA, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Notably, the company did not thank by name the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), whose officers are likely to appear in court today following the theft of several personal items from the crashed aircraft.
Aviation officials on Saturday gave Fly Jamaica the green light to remove the plane which was forced to make an emergency landing minutes after takeoff on Friday.
And the pilot, Captain Basil Ferguson, is being credited with averting a major disaster after stopping the plane inches from a steep drop at the end of the runway. Kaieteur News understands that Ferguson has many years of flying experience and was previously employed with Air Jamaica.
Several passengers who spoke with Kaieteur News following the incident said that Ferguson should be praised for his effort to save the lives of the 128 persons onboard the aircraft.
The Fly Jamaica flight departed CJIA at 2:10 a.m. for Toronto, Canada. About 15 minutes into the flight, passengers recalled that the pilot reported that the aircraft was experiencing problems with its hydraulic system and needed to return to CJIA. According to flight maps, the airplane circled before attempting to land.
Passengers recounted that upon touchdown, the aircraft sped past the airport’s terminal, past the end of the existing runway and onto the newly extended portion of the runway, which is not officially open.
It is being said that the pilot experienced brake failure when he touched down.
The aircraft careened into the chain linked fence before coming to rest in the trap at the end of the runway with the front of the plane perched above a ravine – the same area where a Boeing 737 operated by Caribbean Airlines overran and split in two on July 30, 2011.
The right wing of the aircraft was broken along with the engine.
Government has appointed Paula McAdam to investigate the crash.
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