High winds flip aircraft

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

Two light aircraft at the Ogle International Airport (OIA), East Coast Demerara were Thursday afternoon damaged when high winds flipped one of them.

It was unclear what the wind speed at OIA was, but another pilot said he was hard pressed to avoid flipping on landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) where the wind was estimated at more than 50 miles per hour.

The two US-registered aircraft belong to Guyanese businessmen, one from Wakenaam and the other from Berbice.

When the yellow one flipped, it knocked and damaged the other one. No one was inside either of the aircraft at the time. Aviation industry experts say it is not normal for aircraft to be tied while parked on runways.

Elsewhere, electricity supply was knocked out in areas of Georgetown because high wind downed a palm tree on Vlissengen Road. In Stevedore Housing Scheme, one resident reported that part of his roof blew off.

At Gafoor’s Limited, Houston, East Bank Demerara, two roofing sheets blew off.

Residents in other areas of the coast and Linden also reported extremely heavy rainfall.