-minor injuries reported

The pilot and passengers of a light Cessna 206 aircraft yesterday morning escaped with minor injuries after it skidded off the runway while departing from Ekereku in Region Seven for the coast.

According to a statement from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), around 9:20 am yesterday the agency received a report from Captain Ayube Mazaharally, the pilot of 8R-GMM, that the craft had run off the end of the runway at Ekereku Bottom during take-off.

On board the plane, which is operated by Oxford Aviation out of Ogle, were five persons, some of whom are employed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and Force Control was informed of the incident around 9:50 am. Police at the location were also asked to secure the plane.

Stabroek News understands that the incident occurred around 9 am yesterday, some 10 minutes after the craft arrived at Ekereku.

Sources in the aviation sector told this newspaper that the airstrip at the location is not up to standard, with the bigger domestic aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan and the Britten Norman Islander, being restricted from travelling to the location.

The aircraft, which recently began operating in local airspace, was badly damaged following the incident and inspectors from the GCAA travelled to the area yesterday afternoon to commence an investigation.