Preliminary investigations into the crash of a Caribbean Airlines plane in Guyana indicate that the aircraft split in almost separate pieces after its front landing gear broke off on impact.
Evidence gathered at the crash site on the outskirts of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana suggests that the fuselage of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft was in good condition before Flight BW523 landed in rainy weather at 1.32 a.m. on Saturday with 163 passengers and crew on board, aviation sources close to the ongoing investigation into the accident told the Express yesterday.
The Boeing aircraft travelled along the runway, broke through a perimeter fence and stopped in a ditch not far from a 200-foot ravine, more than a mile from the terminal building of the airport.
There were no fatalities during the crash, but 35 people were treated for injuries at two medical facilities in Guyana.
Local, Guyanese and United States investigators were at the site yesterday, continuing the probe into the crash.
Director general of Trinidad and Tobago's Civil Aviation Authority Ramesh Lutchmedial is part of several teams conducting onsite enquires into the accident.
Probers have found that the aircraft broke apart at one of its seams, near the front of the aircraft. Seats in the aircraft were not damaged.
The plane, which is said to have cost about US$48 million, was leased by Caribbean Airlines in 2009 from a company called CIT Aerospace, which has offices in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Final results of the investigation could take about a year, officials have said.
Caribbean Airlines is paying US$500 to passengers on the flight, amounting to more than US$78,000.
The airline has offered counselling to affected passengers as well as pilot Fareed Dean, first officer Jason Naipaul and cabin attendants working the service, which originated in New York, USA, then flew to Trinidad, with its final destination being Guyana.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States were also at the site again yesterday.
The aircraft's flight recorder was retrieved intact from the aircraft and sent to the NTSB's Washington, DC, labs earlier this week.
Analysis of the flight data from the recorder, commonly called a "black box", was expected to have started immediately.
Caribbean Airlines held an interfaith service for staff members at its Piarco headquarters yesterday.
Sources close to the airline said it has not had cancellations by passengers since the incident.
Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com
No comments:
Post a Comment