GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct. 26, 2014, CNS – The Ministry of Public Works said it hoped the findings into the July 30 crash of a Boeing 737-800 here in 2011will aid in preventing aircraft accidents.
The Caribbean Airlines (CAL) aircraft, with 157 passengers and a six-member crew on board, crashed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport because of a number of factors, including a lack of effective communication in the cockpit, according to an official report released here.
No one was killed in the accident, but eight passengers last July filed lawsuits claiming a total of GUY$8 million (One Guyana dollar =US$0.004 cents).
A statement by the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted the report of the investigation as indicating said that the crew of flight BW523 did not command maximum brake pressure of 3000psi until the aircraft was 250 feet away from the end of the runway.
Lead investigator Paula McAdam said this led to the conclusion that under the event conditions, the aircraft could have been brought to a safe stop on the remaining pavement if maximum braking pressure had been applied.
Another probable cause for the accident was that the aircraft touched down at approximately 4700 feet beyond the runway threshold some 2700 feet from the end of the runway. As a result of the captain maintaining excess power during the flare, and upon touching down, failure to utilise its full deceleration capacity resulted in the aircraft overrunning the remaining runway and fracturing the fuselage.
McAdam said the flight crew’s indecision as to the execution of a go-around, failure to execute a go-around after the aircraft floated some distance down the runway and their diminished situational awareness contributed to the accident as well.
Other findings of the investigation include the increase of power by the pilot on short final to maintain glide path and did not considerably reduce power when crossing the runway threshold.
“Based on the findings put together from information provided to the investigation team, the pilot’s failure to considerably reduce power resulted in the 4700ft touchdown,” GINA said, noting that immediately after the crash the pilot and the co-pilot were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where they successfully passed tests for alcohol and drugs.
The report said the wet runway surface did not inhibit the braking capacity of the aircraft and that the investigation team made recommendations to CAL and the Trinidad and Tobago Aviation Authority (TTCAA) as well as CJIA “to prevent aircraft accidents based on their findings.
“The investigation team suggested to TTCAA to carry out full review of the CAL flight and crew training programme to ensure it is in compliance with the Boeing programme,” GINA said, noting that a recommendation had been made to “CJIA to provide an easily identifiable area for the comfort to passengers and their relatives, who may be in distress during an emergency”.
CNS/db/2014
