Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 25, 2014 News
– as dispute brews over GCAA’s role in probing mishaps
The recent spate of aviation mishaps appears to be causing a dispute of sorts between the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and some local airline operators.
One prominent airline operator has questioned the GCAA’s role in investigating such mishaps, while the GCAA, yesterday, accused some airline operators of preventing one senior GCAA staff from carrying out his functions, and eventually causing him to resign.
“The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) wishes to take the opportunity to clear up several misconceptions being peddled in the public domain concerning the function of the Authority in relation to accident and incident investigations,” the Authority said in a statement yesterday.
“Guyana as a signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation is mandated to carry out a safety investigation in conformity with the protocols and procedures set out in Annex 13 to that Convention.
“It must be made clear that this Annex 13 investigation is a safety investigation with the sole objective of preventing accidents and incidents. It is not the purpose of this type of activity to apportion blame or liability.”
“These types of investigations are usually carried out by the national regulatory body for civil aviation. This is the practice internationally; Guyana is no different in this regard.”
“To therefore infer that in conducting a safety investigation, GCAA is in essence investigating itself, is an obfuscation of the facts,” it added.
The GCAA appeared to be reacting to recent criticism by Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer Captain Gerry Gouveia, who had stated, in another section of the media, that he had “ongoing concerns” over the fact that the GCAA) was spearheading accident investigations.
It said that while the GCAA, like other aviation authorities across the region, “does not yet have the optimum level of resources,” the Authority has formed the necessary relationships that bring to bear any technical and human resources as the need arises.
“It is important to note that the GCAA was staffed with an ICAO approved Flight Operations Inspector but certain operators took to the courts to prevent him from carrying out his functions, resulting in his eventual departure from the Authority. Since that time the GCAA has been making continuous efforts to recruit a full-time, in-house Flight Operations Inspector.”
With respect to the most recent accident, the GCAA has moved swiftly to carry out its mandate as it is required to do under national and international law. The Authority is in contact with the relevant international agencies and has in place all the technical and human resources necessary for the completion of its safety investigation.
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