An Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft crashed into thick vegetation about a mile from the airstrip at Matthews Ridge, North West District, Region One yesterday morning and Minister of Transport Robeson Benn said bad weather appears to have been a factor.
Twelve persons, including pilot Captain Feriel Ally, sustained injuries. An infant, who was also onboard,
escaped the crash without a scratch.
The other injured persons were identified as Lloyd Thomas, Aluna Massay, Ulan Benjamin, Clinton Campbell, Troy Henry, Wesley Johnson, Nalinie Delon, Dexter Benjamin, Sheldon Williams, Hermila Rajesh and Esther Williams.
Ally was among eight persons who were air-dashed to the city for further medical attention after the crash.
After being flown to the Ogle Aiport, Ally, who has some 20 years of aviation experience under her belt, was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital in an ASL Shuttle. Bleeding from a gash above one of her eyes, she managed to walk into the emergency unit at the hospital, where she was immediately taken into a treatment room for medical attention.
Her mother and other relatives, who stood outside the emergency unit, told Stabroek News that they were unclear about what had transpired. However, her mother said that Ally appeared fine, despite the cut above her eye and some bruises on her nose. Plans were being made to transfer her to a private hospital.
The others who were transported to the city were taken by ambulance from Ogle to three different private hospitals. Stabroek News was unable to speak with any of the injured persons.
However, Benn said last evening that based on the reports he received, one person sustained a broken leg and there are two who are believed to have had their jaws fractured, while the others sustained cuts, bruises and abrasions.
Up to press time last evening, there was no statement from ASL on the incident. When Stabroek News made telephone contact with the company less than an hour after the crash, which occurred just after 8 am, an employee said that nothing will be said until there is confirmation of the details.
When contact was made with ASL General Manager Annette Arjoon-Martins, she said she was meeting with the managers and attempts were being made to speak to all media representatives at one time. She asked this newspaper to make contact with her in an hour’s time. After attempts for more than an hour to reach her, Arjoon-Martins, when finally contacted, said “let the authorities do their work and we will speak to everyone [the media] tomorrow”. Asked if there was any information that she could share about what had happened, she responded in the negative, saying that the authorities had just returned from the location.
‘Weather appears
to be a factor’
Benn said that when the plane departed for Matthews Ridge, there was a dispatch of good weather. However, there was a change as there was fog and rain.
According to the minister, there are reports that the pilot circled three times in an attempt to land but “the plane ended up well short of the runway. Just about a mile south…”.
Benn said reports that there was a fire onboard were inaccurate, while expressing relief that this did not happen. He said that after the crash, the pilot and the passengers were able to vacate the plane safely.
“We are thankful that there were no fatalities given the severe condition of the plane,” he said, while adding that the plane is probably a “write off” given the general condition of the exterior of the aircraft and the fact that one of its wings was broken off.
Benn stated that in the light of the crash, persons have to pay close attention to the weather and make good judgments. He spoke of how there would be rain and thunderstorms and then a few days of good weather.
“We are not sure of all the conditions,” he said noting that they will have to await the evaluation of the team that visited the site to conduct the investigation. “The weather appears to be a factor by all accounts,” he, however, added.
Benn earlier told the Government Information Agency that a team from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had been sent in for the purposes of investigation and recovery. A Trans Guyana plane, GINA also noted, was diverted to the area to ferry out those who were injured and those desirous of returning to Georgetown. However, up to 9.45 am, the plane was unable to take off due to thunderstorms.
Based on what Stabroek News was told, the flight managed to leave sometime later and landed at Ogle just after 11 am. The flight time between the two points is close to one hour.
Fears
Meanwhile, Director General of GCAA Zulfikar Mohammed, responding to questions about people’s fear of travelling in the light of the crash, said “aviation is the safest mode of transportation.”
In a telephone interview, he told this newspaper that aircraft go through rigorous checks, which is a requirement. He explained that there are daily checks, inclusive of walk around inspections.
Daily inspections in keeping with the requirements, he said, are done on the aircraft after the scheduled fights for the day have been completed. There is also an inspection before they leave as well, he added, stressing that there are pre and post flight inspections.
“It is safe,” he said.
Initially reports were that the plane crash landed but yesterday Mohammed described it as a crash.
A resident of the area said that the plane ended up on empty farmland in an area closer to the village than the airstrip. The resident said that when he arrived at the scene, the plane was on its wheels and was facing the village, giving the impression that it was preparing for take-off.
In April, two foreigners died after the American-registered N27-FT Piper Aztec plane they were in reportedly encountered engine trouble, which sent it crashing into a Graham Street, Sparendaam Housing Scheme residence belonging to 69-year-old Florence Dyer-Tyndall. The house, at Lot 78 Sparendaam burned to the ground as a result of the crash.
The pilot was identified as Pierre Angiel, 71, of Florida and the Canadian technician as Nick Dmitriev, 54. Dmitriev was part of a team conducting a survey of the Amaila Falls access road. Angiel was from a Miami-based company.
The investigations into this crash are still to be completed.
