Plane runs off airstrip at Monkey Mountain

A plane owned by Domestic Airways ran off the runway upon landing at the Monkey Mountain airstrip in Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) yesterday.

No one was injured in the incident which occurred at around 9.50 am, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said.

In a statement, the GCAA said that the Britten Norman Islander aircraft left Ogle International Airport earlier in the day and made stops at Omai and Mahdia before heading to Monkey Mountain when the incident occurred. The plane’s registration number is 8R-GGY and it was sold to Domestic Airways by Trans Guyana Airways, Stabroek News was told.

Only the pilot Orlando Charles and a lone passenger were on the plane and they were reportedly not injured, the GCAA said. However, the twin engine aircraft, registration 8R-GGY, was damaged, the release said. The extent was not disclosed and investigators were sent to the area yesterday.

There have been several incidents in recent years of aircraft running off interior airstrips.