Dear Editor,
Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flight 523 crash-landed during a misty and rainy morning at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) from JFK, New York City via Port of Spain, Trinidad without any fatality on July 30. It is a miracle given the fact that the Boeing737-800 overshot the runway and its fuselage broke open, that there were no fatalities.
The captain utilized every inch of land ahead to avoid plunging over the ravine just ahead. The precipice at the end of the runway at CJIA always bothered me during landings and take-offs there. There is speculation that the pilot may not have touched down at the beginning of the runway, and that the plane approached the runway at an unusual speed. Conditions are sometimes poor at the airport during the early mornings when the tropical rainforest is misty, and it’s a miracle that the pilot averted a major catastrophe.
This incident will definitely place all stakeholders – Caribbean Airlines, the pilot, and safety at CJIA under scrutiny. As well, questions will be raised about emergency readiness and security at the airport. All in all, it will be good for Guyana that CJIA will emerge out of this to become a modern state-of-the-art airport. The stakes are too high not to upgrade this airport which is already undergoing some technological advancement.
CJIA has one of the shortest runways in the region which ends not far from a ravine. The Instrument Landing System (ILS) which guides pilots to land planes in low visibility conditions is not yet completed. In the past, many landings had to be averted because of foggy conditions in the early morning at the CJIA.
Many questions will be raised as the investigation of flight 523 begins. How much support did the pilot get from the control tower? Was the runway well lit and was the Approach Lighting System (ALS) visible to indicate to the pilot the beginning of the runway? From news and pictures coming of CJIA, the pilot may not have touched down at the beginning of the runway. There is also speculation that the wing flaps may not have been extended to aid the landing.
This incident will no doubt hasten the completion of the ILS technology at CJIA and lead to discussion about extending the runway, which is difficult because of the ravine. If the runway can’t be extended, the Government of Guyana will have to build a totally new runway of at least 11,000 feet. If money is going to be invested in this, then it is best to build a runway that will accommodate the most modern aircraft. This means building a runway of 10,000 to 12,000 feet or else come up with a new airport in a more suitable area that can accommodate two runways of 8000 to 12,000 feet. Two operational runways of this length are crucial at an international airport, because if one is closed, the airport can continue normal operations.
Meanwhile, reports coming out of Trinidad are already pointing fingers. Retired BWIA captain Norris Gomez, not commenting on the actual accident because of the lack of detail, stated: “I first want to say that the captain of the aircraft involved in the incident is an excellent, experienced pilot. He was my co-pilot on the A-340 for years.” Gomez said: “I can say, however, that pilots are under extreme psychological pressure to land at destinations in order to save the airline great costs due to the expense of putting up people in hotels and rescheduling flights.”
Gomez continued, “This is not unique to CAL, but the pilot has to feel that he can make his decisions without fear of recrimination. The current CAL board does not have anyone with flying, engineering or aviation experience on it. The board, therefore, does not have anyone who understands the pressures the pilots are under. “I think that this would be a good opportunity for the powers that be to evaluate the way it structures the boards of nationalized companies that require specialist industry knowledge and experience.” Did CAL overlook conditions at CJIA when trying to land a plane there at 1.30am to save money? But in this case, shouldn’t the authorities at CJIA have closed the airport during torrential rainfall and fog?
On the other hand, some are questioning conditions at the CJIA. The Trinidadian daily, Newsday, wrote, “The facilities at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Guyana will come under scrutiny among many possible factors that pushed Flight BW 523 to overshoot the runway after years of complaints from pilots and flight attendants.”
The wife of the pilot, Sharlene Dean, when asked if Captain Dean told her what had happened, replied, “Not in detail but I was told by other flight attendants and other pilots that Guyana is horrendous when it rains and causes severe visibility problems, but with his (Dean’s) experience I am sure that he handled the situation very well and is being hailed as a hero.”
Also speaking with Newsday in Trinidad, a pilot, who knows Dean “very well,” said that “pilots always have problems landing and taking off at the runway in Guyana because of poor lighting and visibility whenever it rained.”
Yours faithfully,
Ray Chickrie
