Rescue teams were awaiting the arrival of a helicopter from the French island of Guadeloupe to assist in the recovery of a French-registered private airplane that crashed in a densely forested area, south west of Dominica on Thursday, the chief executive officer of the of the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA) Benoit Bardouille has said.
Speaking on the state-owned DBS radio, Bardouille said the pilot was the lone occupant of the aircraft. Earlier media reports had said there were at least four people on board the private Cessna plane that was travelling between the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Benoit said that around 8.22 am (local time) the authorities in Guadeloupe got in contact with Dominica indicating that “they had lost contact with a small aircraft some six miles off the Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica and that they need help from Dominica in locating the aircraft”.
He said based on the coordinates provided, “we had to ask for assistance of a helicopter because the area where the aircraft was located is a very difficult terrain. It is west of the Diablotin area.
“I can confirm that the assistance is currently being provided and the aircraft has been identified in a location west of the airport and ground personnel in Dominica are putting a rescue plan together to get to the aircraft,” Bardouille said, adding “I want to clear the air, there is no accident or incident at the Douglas Charles Airport. The aircraft was going from Martinique to Guadeloupe and it is reported missing and we are trying our best to assist the aviation authorities to locate the aircraft.
“I must repeat that it is in a very difficult woody area and they will and are doing all possible to get to it. I want to also point out that the Douglas-Charles Airport is not closed,” he said, adding ‘anybody with any information, or who would have seen anything in that particular area on the south west coast please call in and let us know, but based on the information it is in a very difficult terrain.”
Last week, a Sky High Aviation Services Jetstream 41 aircraft crash landed at the Douglas-Charles Airport.
The Dominican Republic-based aircraft had 32 people on board including three crew members. There were no fatalities.
The authorities said that the left landing gear collapsed soon after landing.
