Local aviation authorities have sought the advice of the United States National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) on how to treat with the July 4 incident when a Delta Airlines passenger activated the aircraft’s emergency exit, making his own way out.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Avia-tion Authority (GCAA) Zulficar Mohammed when contacted for an update on investigations on Tuesday said that the body has since sought the NTSB’s guidance since local aviation laws do not address incidents of that nature.
“So we have our contact people there and they are to advise us on how, if possible, we can proceed on this matter,” he informed.
The passenger, a Guyanese citizen returning from the US, was travelling first class on DL 383 and according to reports he blew the emergency exit door, sending him down the emergency exit slide and onto the CBJ airport tarmac. He apparently became agitated after no instructions were being issued to the passengers when the plane landed and in the interim was awaiting GCA clearance. Reports have also indicated that the man may have been intoxicated.
Mohammed on Tuesday restated his concern that the matter may be a criminal one and could be treated as such, but said he would await the NTSB verdict.
The GCAA had taken several accounts of the man’s action from witnesses, but first-hand accounts were hard to come by, Mohammed had said previously.
He acknowledged that while there were passenger accounts carried in many media reports on the incident, these could not be used in the investigations since they cannot be substantiated.
Delta has since been very tightlipped on the matter, leaving it entirely in the hands of the local authorities.
Corporate Communications Manager, Carlos Santos from his Los Angeles Office had told this newspaper that it was unfortunate that he could not provide any details on the incident. Santos had also refused to discuss whether the airline was conducting its own investigation into the matter.
