A light Cessna 172 aircraft operated by Air Services Limited (ASL) sustained minor structural damage shortly after landing at the Kaow Island airstrip in the Essequibo River yesterday.
The incident occurred around 1:56pm, after the pilot landed to pick up a passenger.
ASL operations manager Annette-Arjoon Martins told Stabroek News that the aircraft was already on the ground on the 18,000-ft runway strip at Kaow Island when it was hit by a tailwind. She said that the airplane subsequently fell into a ditch at the end of the runway. The pilot, Captain Wilson, who was the lone occupant of the aircraft at the time, escaped with minor injuries.
Efforts to reach Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Zulficar Mohammed yesterday proved futile but this newspaper understands that an aviation inspector attached to the GCAA and ASL’s chief pilot travelled to Kaow Island yesterday afternoon to assess the situation.
Last week, the airline suffered a minor setback after one of its Cessna Caravan aircraft skidded off the runway at Eteringbang close to the Venezuelan border shortly after landing. The aircraft was summoned to the area by the company to transport parts for another in its fleet which had sustained minor damage to one of its propellers earlier that day.
While landing at Eteringbang, the pilot encountered difficulties and the aircraft subsequently ran off the runway.
