Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 13, 2013 News
Sithe Global is conducting its own investigations into issues relating to insurance of the ill-fated American registered aircraft that crashed into a Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara house, flattening the structure one month ago.
This is according to Brian Kubeck, Senior Vice-President and Project Manager of the Amaila Hydropower Project. Sithe Global was contracted by the Government to see the implementation of the Amaila Hydropower Project.
“Amaila Falls Hydro contracted with ATLIS Geomatics, Inc. for surveying services and our contract explicitly required that ATLIS have valid third party insurance, as well as its subcontractors (i.e., including the owner of the plane that crashed). We are investigating this matter directly with ATLIS and hope to be able to provide additional information soon,” Kubeck said.
The two-man crew aboard the twin-engine Piper Aztec, with registration N27-FT was on a technical survey mission for the Amaila Falls Hydropower project. Just after taking off from Ogle International Airport the plane crashed into Florence Tyndall’s house- flattening the structure and scorching a section of her neighbour Michelle Belle’s house.
Tyndall escaped unharmed but the aircraft’s owner and pilot Pierre Angiel and his passenger Canadian Scientist Nick Dmitriev perished.
The 69-year-old woman is now living with her son and is hopeful that the aircraft’s insurance will cover the cost of rebuilding her house. Meanwhile, Belle, her six children and one grandchild are still occupying their abode.
According to Kubeck, “Amaila Falls Hydro believes that insurance should cover the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the houses and we are committed to ensuring that this happens. We are greatly saddened by the loss of lives and property associated with the accident and we are doing our best to ensure that the affected homeowners can rebuild.”
However, the insurance company has been silent since the incident and this has raised eyebrows in the local aviation industry.
In fact, 10 days after the crash, Paula Mc Adam, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)’s Director of Aviation Safety Regulation, had said that GCAA was unable to ascertain the name of the insurance company.
Normally whenever there are incidents of this type, insurance companies “are usually quick on the scene”.
According to GCAA in a press release Thursday last, “Approval was given to Digital World Mapping to operate the specific aircraft to conduct a LiDar Survey for the Amaila Hydropower Project. In that approval the operator was advised that the aircraft must be insured against third party risk.
Detailed examination, based on information provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA has revealed that the insurance coverage for the aircraft did not include coverage for operations in South America. As a consequence the liability issues resulting from the aircraft crash are viewed as devolving to the charterer of the aircraft.”
However, the regulatory agency did not definitively say whether the aircraft operator acted on the advice and insured the aircraft against third party risk.
And, according to a source, GCAA’s Air Transport Management Department did not verify if the aircraft- owned and piloted by Pierre Angiel of Angiel EnviroSafe, Inc. – was insured and had requested assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration to help in locating the insurance company.
Mc Adam in a follow-up interview had said that GCAA is trying to arrange a meeting with Sithe Global for this week in relation to liabilities relating to the crash.
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