Eyewitnesses alleged pilot apologised for CAL plane crash

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

Eyewitnesses alleged that the pilot of the ill-fated Caribbean Airlines jet that crash-landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport early Saturday morning, had accepted blame for the disaster while apologising to the passengers.

“When we pulled de pilot out of the cabin, I heard him apologising to the co-pilot and saying that it was he fault. He tell de other pilot sorry and said he gon take de blame as he did everything he could do to save de passengers’ lives,” Ray Pollard, a Red Cap employee attached to the airport, stated in an interview with this publication on Wednesday morning.

Pollard said that he immediately rendered assistance to the pilot and helped others place him in a minibus being driven by airport taxi driver Manfred Williams, who then transported him to the hospital to receive treatment.

Meanwhile, as the highlevel probe continues into the circumstances surrounding the crash, the pilot’s licences have been reportedly suspended.

The probe team led by the National Transport and Security Board revealed that the pilot “will not be allowed to operate and will not be part of any cabin crew until the determination of the matter”. A source explained that this is “normal protocol” in cases of this nature because officials would want to maintain the highest level of transparency and integrity during and after the investigation.

Following his suspension, the Trinidadian pilot returned home and is recovering slowly from his injuries, Guyana Times International understands.

Another eyewitness and airport employee, Neil Craig, told this publication that he also was among the first persons to render assistance to the passengers when the plane crashed. “When I arrived, the police, army and fire service were all at the scene of the crash assisting and carrying out the emergency plan as we were trained,” Craig noted.

He said the aircraft landed abruptly more than half way down on the airstrip. “I never see any aircraft in my history working here land like that. I left with my mouth open.” Officials at the airport who requested anonymity have raised serious concerns over accusations and media reports suggesting that the plane landed in a highly or densely forested area and passengers were lost among trees and bushes for several minutes before receiving assistance.

Another source close to the investigations has disclosed that preliminary findings from the initial investigation could be released or made available to the relevant authorities in a matter of weeks. The source said the complete investigation may take several months to complete.