The black box which was removed from Caribbean Airlines’ Flight BW 523 which overshot the runway of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on the morning of Saturday July 30 is already in the United States of America to be analysed.
The crashed CAL BW523
The black box would have all the recordings of various transmissions between the pilots and the control tower. This instrument is the only thing that can provide the reason for the Boeing 737-800 plane crash. An airport official told Guyana Times International that, prior to the incident, the pilot was in contact with the air traffic controllers, who had given clearance for the craft to land.
“Once permission was granted for the aircraft to land, direct contact (would) be minimised with the pilot until the plane has safely landed. But the pilot has the final decision whether or not to land a plane”, the official added.
On the morning of the incident, the pilot reportedly told the traffic controllers that he was going around because visibility was poor and he could not make it to land. “The pilots have a minimum altitude and height that they have to adhere to, and once the aircraft passes that level, it is impossible for it to lift back into the air,” the official added.
According to the official, the pilot apparently landed the aircraft outside the touchdown zone, which ultimately made it difficult to control and stop the aircraft.
Upon passing the control tower, the aircraft’s front wheels were reportedly still in the air, which is highly abnormal, the official said.
The official, however, described the accident as a miracle, since there were no fatalities. “A crash like this could have been catastrophic, since everyone knows that the fuel is kept in the wings of an aircraft and the impact could have triggered the entire plane to explode.”
According to information received, it is possible that, after the pilot realised he could not have brought the aircraft to a halt, he cut off all power supply in the aircraft before the point of impact, meaning that even if the wings were hit, they would have broken off rather than exploded.
On the night of the incident, the pilot reportedly told some passengers that he saved their lives; but rather than thanking him, they were too upset and scared to understand what he really meant. The pilot received minor injuries, and reportedly told officials that he wished the accident were just a dream.
Meanwhile, in light of the accident, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority will have to review certain aspects of its navigation system, the official said.
One which is of major concern is the runway lights. Guyana Times International was told that the runway lights are controlled by various intensities, ranging from the brightest – 100 per cent to the dullest – five per cent. “The lights are set at the highest; and as the aircraft approaches the runway, the intensity of the lights is reduced to accommodate a smooth landing. But we have to revise that method,” the official said.
According to the official, the unavailability of the Instrumental Landing System (ILS) at the CJIA presents a challenge. This system brings down an aircraft with little or no visibility.
Under the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA) modernisation plan, the completion of the tower is a priority, the official added.
According to Transport Minister Robeson Benn, there are certain teams conducting investigations. These teams are the operations team; aircraft performance team; meteorological team and the survival team. These teams comprise officials from Suriname, Caribbean Airlines, the Boeing Aircraft Company, and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. The teams are headed by Ms Paula Mc Adam, who will report the findings to the Director of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulfikar Mohamed.
Meanwhile, a team from the National Transport Safety Board of the United States of America (NTSB) arrived in Guyana and has since visited the crash site. The team was slated to meet with the crew members on Monday evening, August 1. Benn reiterated that, upon the completion of the investigations, a decision will be taken on the removal of the tail of the crashed aircraft; but as of now, the runway has been shortened. He also noted that operations continue as per normal at the CJIA.
