An aircraft propeller yesterday morning decapitated a miner at Kurupung, located in Region Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni), after he ran onto the airstrip in an effort to board the plane which was about to take off.
Dead is Hubert Lindo, 31, a former member of the Guyana Defence Force and of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.
Reports are that Lindo was booked to travel on the flight, but he arrived late. Noticing the aircraft still on the ground he ran towards its side door without realising that the propeller was spinning. The propeller chopped a part of his shoulder before decapitating him.
Public Relations Consul-tant of Trans Guyana Air-ways, Kit Nascimento told reporters last evening that Sky West Charters had chartered the plane from Trans Guyana yesterday.
Nascimento said that Sky West usually makes daily trips to Kurupung. Yesterday Francis Camacho was the pilot of the aircraft which touched down at Kurupung around 11:45 am. According to Nascimento, once the plane landed, a Sky West agent at the location informed the pilot that there were five passengers scheduled to travel but at that time only four of them were present and ready to leave. The agent further told the pilot that he could proceed with the four passengers as he did not know where the fifth person was. Nascimento said the pilot then boarded the aircraft around 11:55 am with the four passengers. He then secured the aircraft for departure, checking in the vicinity of the plane to ensure that it was safe and free from anyone close to it. Nascimento said the pilot was satisfied with the security checks and as such he started the engine of the plane and proceeded on his pre-take-off run-up which usually lasts for about two minutes.
Nascimento said at the point of conducting the pre-take-off check, a passenger sitting in the co-pilot’s seat alerted the pilot that someone was running towards the aircraft on the pilot’s side. Subsequently the other passengers told the pilot the same thing.
Nascimento said that the man ran straight up to the pilot’s door. He explained that the configuration of the plane leaves virtually no room between the pilot’s door and the propeller. “So within seconds of the passengers alerting the pilot about the man running towards the plane, the man arrived at the door of the aircraft and came into contact with the propeller,” Nascimento explained. Lindo’s head was completely severed. Immediately, Nascimento said that the pilot shut down the engine of the aircraft and contact was made with the relevant authorities.
The Chief Pilot of the airline, Gerry Gonsalves, later led a team including
an officer of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority into the area to conduct investigations. Nascimento said that the Sky West agent told Gonsalves that he had already returned to his office when he saw Lindo running towards the aircraft. “This is an enormously tragic accident and Trans Guyana extends its sincerest condolences to the relatives and family,” Nascimento said.
He said the airline continues to investigate the matter and will provide further updates as it becomes necessary.
Kurupung is one of the many state-owned airstrips in the interior that are poorly maintained. Security has been a longstanding issue at these. Nascimento said that the airstrip has no fence or security on the ground. Asked whether Trans Guyana was satisfied with the level of security checks conducted by the pilot before he started the engine, Nascimento said yes, adding that the airline is extremely careful about these things.
He said that it was not the practice of passengers to run onto the airstrip when the plane is about to take off but could not say what drove Lindo do that yesterday.
Lindo’s relatives said that he had left Mahaica for the interior since October last year and promised them that he would be out for the Mashramani celebrations.
A police source told Stabroek News that Lindo was booked to travel on the Trans Guyana airways flight and arrived at the airstrip just minutes before the plane was about to leave. The source said that he might not have seen the propeller spinning and was running towards the plane’s side door located under the wing. The police source said the aircraft left the location later.
There were scenes of deep anguish at the Ogle Aerodrome when the Trans Guyana aircraft landed with the remains of Lindo. A number of his relatives who had travelled in buses to get to Ogle broke down in tears as the plane landed. Paula Sealey said that Lindo was a very good man who worked hard for his possessions. She said the manner of his death was heart-breaking. Sealey noted that Lindo had been working as a miner for several years.