US-registered plane in second incident on Wakenaam

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

A United States (US)-registered plane that crash-landed on Wakenaam two years ago again suffered a similar fate on that Essequibo Island on Friday shortly after it was repaired, according to sources.

Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Zulfikar Mohammed told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that engineers had done some work on the Cessna 152 plane and steps were being taken to have it certified.

He said the plane, bearing regisration number N65589, was damaged while doing some “run-ups” which included high speed taxi when it ran off the edge of the airstrip. Mohammed said they had planned to fly it to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Eyewitnesses, however, said the plane was airborne and nose-dived and slipped off on the right hand side of the airstrip.

The pilot was sustained minor bruises and scrapes and was treated at the Wakenaam Hospital and sent away.

Sources said the incident was not promptly reported to the GCAA. Now that the regulatory agency has been alerted, investigators are expected to travel to Wakenaam on Saturday.

A man attempted to prevent a Wakenaam correspondent from taking photos of the damaged aircraft.

The plane crash-landed on a rice field on Wakenaam in November 2011 after it ran out of fuel while on a delivery flight to Brazil. At the time, the plane was flying from Trinidad. At that time, it was believed that the aircraft force landed because it ran low on fuel, due to heavy winds and miscalculation.

The plane was lifted by tractor and trailer to a house adjacent to the airstrip where repairs were completed on Friday.