Written by Vishnu Bisram
Dear Editor,
Regarding the landing mishap of CAL 523, I urge everyone to read Adam Harris’ column of last Sunday.
The experienced journalist/editor made several instructive comments which should be heeded by authorities, especially on what is learned from undergoing that experience of rescuing people in an aviation accident.
There is all kinds of speculation (and that is expected and welcomed in a country with a free press) of what went wrong with the plane’s landing.
It is understandable that every responsible government agency and institution and the airline will want to absolve themselves of wrongdoing.
We will know the facts when the NTSB concludes its investigation and issues a report that may take months.
There will be no cover-up of this accident. Every explanation offered as a cause now is merely wild speculation, including what I will offer below. Nothing is in or out as of now as a cause but we do need to change the way we handle flights.
The plane did not crash land. It was a routine landing that went badly for one or a combination of reasons – visual/acuity, weather and poor lighting, tower communication, mechanical failure, etc.
It does not appear there was equipment failure although it is possible that instruments could have malfunctioned. And we don’t know if airport deficiency was a factor in the landing. When the investigation is completed, I believe blame will be apportioned with some going to the pilot and some to the tower.
I believe the crew and the airport management’s handling of the accident will come in for severe reprimand – and this is based on various media reports of accounts from passengers of what took place after the plane came to a stop and what was done to evacuate the passengers to safety.
No life was lost and there were only few serious injuries and so we must count our blessings. The fact that the plane did not continue straight into the ravine below the runway (which in all likelihood would have resulted in fatalities) may be attributed to the heroism of Captain Fareed Deen in “steering the plane” to its present location to lessen the impact of “the crash”. Passengers reported a blackout once the plane veered off the runway.
The pilot must be highly commended for switching off all electrical power to prevent conflagration given the combustibility of aviation fuel with electrical spark. He may feel particularly blessed and relieved that no lives were lost.
While applauding the emergency response of all, this in no way suggests that it could not have been better. Passengers complained that some fire crew stood by doing nothing while they struggled to get off the plane.
While applauding the emergency response of all, this in no way suggests that it could not have been better. Passengers complained that some fire crew stood by doing nothing while they struggled to get off the plane.
One of them even complained that the flight crew jumped off the plane leaving others behind.
A thorough investigation into the response of the emergency staff at CJIA is needed. We know the pilot was the last person (by accident or design) to leave the aircraft and for that he should be lauded.
It appears from news reports based on eyewitness accounts that the pilot misjudged his approach, apparently landing too far down the runway, and if that is factual he must explain why.
It appears from news reports based on eyewitness accounts that the pilot misjudged his approach, apparently landing too far down the runway, and if that is factual he must explain why.
I agree with Adam that Guyana was not directly responsible for the crash. However, as he states, there are lessons to be learnt: have fire tenders on the alert and ambulances at the ready for every flight.
That is how airports operate in the developed world. There is another lesson to be learnt from Adam’s column and it applies to writers. Adam says he wanted to check the information before writing a story. “I asked the caller to double check … “. Freddie Kissoon pay heed!
Here are some questions that the investigators may be asking:
Why did the plane overshoot, if it did, some 500 feet of runway before touchdown? What was the weather like during landing? Was there a visual problem? One eyewitness said there was dense fog or mist over the runway blocking vision. If so, why did the pilot make the landing when he could have circled above and waited for better conditions? Did the air traffic control warn the pilot about visual problems? Did the pilot warn the tower he could not see and did he ask for assistance to land the aircraft? Was Piarco informed of weather problems before the flight left Trinidad? When the plane touched down and veered off the runway, how long did it take the tower to realize something was wrong? An eyewitness said it took some 20 minutes before people realized something was amiss. The tower should have known in seconds something was wrong. How long did it take for the tower to inform higher authority and Minister Benn? I hope minister Benn will straighten out the emergency response.
Why did the plane overshoot, if it did, some 500 feet of runway before touchdown? What was the weather like during landing? Was there a visual problem? One eyewitness said there was dense fog or mist over the runway blocking vision. If so, why did the pilot make the landing when he could have circled above and waited for better conditions? Did the air traffic control warn the pilot about visual problems? Did the pilot warn the tower he could not see and did he ask for assistance to land the aircraft? Was Piarco informed of weather problems before the flight left Trinidad? When the plane touched down and veered off the runway, how long did it take the tower to realize something was wrong? An eyewitness said it took some 20 minutes before people realized something was amiss. The tower should have known in seconds something was wrong. How long did it take for the tower to inform higher authority and Minister Benn? I hope minister Benn will straighten out the emergency response.
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