The pilot of a Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) Britten Norman Islander aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at the Bartica airstrip yesterday after one of the plane’s engines failed.
The aircraft, bearing registration 8R-GHD, was on the return leg of its flight from the Olive Creek airstrip in the Mazaruni to the Ogle Municipal Airport at the time.
According to reports, shortly after 11 am yesterday the female pilot of the aircraft contacted the company and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower at Timehri and reported that the twin engine aircraft had suffered an engine failure.
There were five passengers on board the aircraft at the time and reports are that the aircraft was at approximately 7,500 feet at the time when the right port side engine of the aircraft failed.
The pilot sought assistance from other experienced pilots who were also airborne at the time and she subsequently informed ATC that she was making a diversion to the Bartica airstrip on the Essequibo River.
The aircraft landed safely there around 11.30 am and a team of engineers from the company was summoned to the area.
The problem was temporarily fixed and the aircraft returned to Ogle around 3 pm yesterday.
The incident is being investigated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Over the past several weeks there have been a few incidents in the local aviation sector and GCAA head Zulficar Mohammed told Stabroek News recently that they are being monitored and investigated by the aviation body.
