Pilot tells relatives there was poor visibility, lighting -report

Aviation personnel and others swarm the wreckage. An inflated chute can be seen in the background.

As investigators arrive here to probe the Caribbean Airlines (CAL) crash-landing, Fareed Dean, the Trinidadian pilot has reportedly told relatives that poor visibility due to heavy rainfall resulted in the aircraft over-shooting the runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Dean insisted he did his best to prevent the loss of lives, a relative told the Trinidad Newsday newspaper on Saturday. The 52-year-old pilot was traumatised by the incident and suffered injuries to his legs. Dean reportedly said the runway had poor lighting and this contributed to the poor visibility when he attempted to land at about 1:32 am on Saturday. Dean, his co-pilot and crew members are expected to receive counselling from professional counsellors in the coming days,