Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 17, 2015 News
– search for missing ASL aircraft to continue
Almost a year after a Trans Guyana Airways plane crashed and killed its Canadian-born pilot and cargo handler, authorities says that the incident was caused by an engine failure.
This is the conclusion of an aviation report after the Cessna Grand Caravan, registration number 8R-GHS, went down in the Mazaruni, Region Seven, on January 18, 2014.
The plane’s engine was sent to the manufacturer where it was concluded that there was a failure.
The manufacturer has since reportedly made moves to have a particular fault corrected on that model of Cessna plane.
During a press conference to discuss the Ministry of Public Work’s performance last year, Minister Robeson Benn made it clear, however, that it does not necessary mean that the engine makers were liable.
The pilot, Blake Slater, was a Canadian by birth and the holder of a Guyana passport.
Jacobs, 28, had been working at Trans Guyana for 10 years. He had joined the company as a handyman on July 26, 2004, and was promoted to aircraft loader, a position of considerable responsibility for the safety and security of the cargo.
Slater had been with the Ogle-based company for about three years ago as a junior pilot and became command pilot on the Cessna Grand Caravan in April 2013.
On Saturday, January 18, last year, around 10:55am, Captain Slater radioed a distress signal which was heard by five pilots, including three TGA pilots who were flying at the time. The aircraft had departed Olive Creek for Imbaimadai on an approximately 15-minute flight.
The aircraft was transporting seven drums of fuel – about 2,800 pounds.
The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) had reportedly not been triggered off at the time.
Yesterday, head of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulphicar Mohamed, admitted that there have been reports that the ELTs have been problematic.
Guyana is actively looking at alternative technology to better track planes.
Searchers are currently looking for another plane, this one belonging to Air Services Limited, which went missing after a trip to Mahdia, Region Eight on December 28, last year.
On it were 27-year-old Nicky Persaud, the pilot, 51-year-old David Bisnauth, the cargo loader.
Officials yesterday said that they are continuing the search with a decision to be made in a few days.
Minister Robeson Benn said that helicopters and planes have been flying in specific grid patterns over the area that plane is believed to have went down.
Army ranks and rescue workers are systematically working in the areas around what is known as Blackwater.
Benn said that searchers using what is known as a spot tracker, will be tweaking it to given more timely data.
With hopes dwindling among the families and ASL, a decision is expected in a few days, the Minister said.
More than nine leads have been followed, but none materialized. A special plane, provided by CGX, that can locate large metal masses, was also employed in the search, but it too yielded no results. The missing ASL plane was the last aviation misfortune for 2014. Official yesterday said that there were five accidents last year, resulting in the death of two persons and with others injured.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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