C’bean Airlines Timehri crash due to pilot error – Draft Report says

Aug 24, 2013 News

Two years after a Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) Boeing 737-800 aircraft crash-landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri (CJIA), a draft report has been completed with the findings pointing to pilot’s error.
The plane spectacularly split in two, around 01:30hrs on July 30, 2011, and while there were no deaths, there were injuries with one passenger losing his leg. A number of passengers have since taken legal action.
Officials privy to the report said that from all indications, the pilot landed “long” on the runway and was unable to stop the plane. The midnight flight ran off the runway, and broke into half after ending up on a nearby road.
While not giving much detail, the officials also said in all likelihood, the pilot “mis-averaged” the runway and after landing, could not bring the plane to a halt in time.

Flashback: The crash scene at CJIA in July 2011 (Mike Charles photo)

The draft report, according to officials of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), has been submitted to Minister of Transport Robeson Benn. It was prepared by Deputy Director of GCAA, Paula McAdam.
The findings would be significant as CAL’s owners, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, had suggested that the problem seemed to have been on the Guyana end, at the airport. However, authorities in Guyana have dismissed this, pointing to Guyana’s safety record at CJIA, which has been one of the best in the region.
The co-pilot of the CAL flight, BW 523, has since resigned while the captain was reportedly reassigned to another division in the airline.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington had late last year reviewed an initial report from the GCAA.
CAL had appointed a firm of specialist aviation attorneys to deal with the four or so lawsuits filed by passengers.
Already, the airline which was granted flag-carrier status by Guyana earlier this year and is now facing flak for its high fares, has been paid by the insurance company for the incident. The damaged plane has been given to the insurer, it has been reported.
Currently, Guyana is on the verge of expanding the CJIA, extending the airport and building a new terminal building. The idea is to attract bigger planes and tap into the Asian and African market, using Guyana’s strategic geographical position, Government has said.
CAL had met with Government recently after complaints of the high fares.
Guyana is desperate to find additional airlines willing to take up flights to North America, especially the Georgetown/JFK route.