Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana Riding on the Crest of Truth
Last Updated on Friday, 9 November 2018, 6:42 by Denis Chabrol
A Fly Jamaica airliner crashed early Friday morning at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, officials said.
Six persons were injured and rushed to Diamond Regional Hospital. “They are all stable and are being looked at,” Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson said. He added that all the persons aboard have been accounted for with minor injuries.
“No reports of any broken bones or such,” he said.
Emergency numbers for family members to call are +592-261-2281 and +592-600-7022
After several minutes in the air, the flight destined for Canada, turned back due to technical difficulties and crash-landed. “Where the aircraft veered off is about the exact same place the Caribbean Airlines (plane did)… so fortunately for us on this occasion, the extension (of the runway) was there so they were able to utilise the extension,” Patterson added.
Patterson said the baggage hold is intact and investigators have taken charge of the site.
There were 118 adults and two infants aboard as well as eight crew members made up of six Guyanese and two Jamaicans. The passengers included one American, 82 Canadians, 35 Guyanese, one Pakistani and one Trinidadian.
Flight departed Guyana at 2:10 AM and at 2:21 minutes, pilot indicated “there was some hydraulic problem and he requested permission to return and he did”, the minister said.
On landing at 2:53 AM, the emergency services were activated and since then an investigator from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has taken responsibility for the crash site. The Public Infrastructure Minister said the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board has been informed.
“We can confirm that Fly Jamaica flight OJ256 bound for Toronto has returned to Georgetown with a technical problem and has suffered an accident on landing. At this time, we believe that all 118 passengers and 8 crew members are safe. We are providing local assistance and will release further information as soon as it is available,” the carrier said.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport has since been reopened to regular traffic.