CAL crash probe to wrap up soon – McAdam

Aviation Safety Regulations Director Paula Mc Adam has announced that the final report on the Caribbean Airlines Flight 523 crash, which occurred on July 30, 2011 in Guyana, is expected to be completed in the next two weeks.
“They have 60 days in which to comment; after that 60-day period is up, we will then look at the final draft and if we consider it necessary, we will include their suggestions, we will make where correction is necessary and then we will issue the final report.”
She highlighted that Transport Minister Robeson Benn will release the final draft at the end of that period.
She noted that after the final draft is completed, it will be circulated to stakeholders, such as Trinidad’s Civil Aviation Authority and Caribbean Airlines, who would have 60 days to comment the document.
The first draft of the report was completed last November and submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, DC in the United States for review and advice.
Mc Adam stated that the investigation body has since been working on reviewing the first draft and making adjustments based on the suggestions given by NTSB. After the crash last year, Mc Adam denied that the runway caused the incident.
Caribbean Airlines Flight 523 overran runway six at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and several of the 163 passengers aboard were injured. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8BK, had flown from the John F Kennedy Airport, New York to Georgetown, with a stopover in Piarco International Airport, Port of Spain, Trinidad. After touching down on a rainy day, the plane crashed through the perimeter fence around 01:30h. The aircraft went over a road before stopping 100 metres and breaking into two sections.
The majority of the injured were treated at Diamond Diagnostic Hospital, and then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where 35 passengers were treated for leg, back and neck injuries.
Trinidad’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar flew to Guyana to assess the situation, since the government of Trinidad and Tobago owns Caribbean Airlines. According to reports, Guyana’s emergency response team appeared at the scene two hours after the incident.
A passenger later sued the airline seeking damages for her injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of earnings and earning capacity. There have been a number of other suits filed by Guyanese who were on that flight.