It is a miracle there were no fatalities following the crash that saw a Caribbean Airlines flight into Guyana overshooting the runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at 1:32 a.m. on July 30. Flying in from Trinidad en route from New York, upon landing in bad weather, the aircraft overshot the runway, crashed through the perimeter fence, and snapped in two, coming to a stop before it reached a 200-foot ravine.
It was a relief the aircraft stopped where it did, a little short of the 200-foot ravine that could have resulted in dozens of fatalities, said Guyana's President, Bharrat Jagdeo.
"We are very, very grateful that more people were not injured," he said.
The same was echoed by Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who flew into Guyana following the crash.
"It was miraculous what happened because not a life was lost, not a fatality," she told the media.
The sense of relief was also echoed by Guyana's Health Minister, Leslie Ramsammy: "We must be the luckiest country and luckiest set of people in the world to escape so lightly," he said.
Indeed, it could have been a far worse disaster, with dozens of lives lost. Instead, there were 35 injuries, with five passengers seriously hurt. Most of the 156 passengers were able to immediately escape from the broken aircraft after it had been brought to a stop by the pilot.
There have been widespread speculation about the cause of what is being described by aviation officials as a "runway excursion". Many factors could have contributed to this near-disaster, among them runway lighting, human error, poor weather conditions, or even something going wrong with the aircraft itself. Although investigations are still continuing, latest reports (see page 1) are pointing to the possibility of human error as a major contributing factor.
Meanwhile, as we assess this situation from abroad, we consider the implications as frequent fliers to destinations in our homelands. This crash has serious and frightening implications for us as travellers here out of the GTA to the international airports in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The reputation of CAL as an airline has also been affected, even as it is now positioned out of its base in Trinidad and Tobago to possibly become a major regional carrier through its links with Air Jamaica.
As we look on from abroad, we note that the government of Trinidad and Tobago and CAL officials have continued to give assurance, support, and importantly have kept us informed. In fact, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar and a team comprising Transport Minister Devant Maharaj, Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Suruj Rambachan, Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Rodger Samuel travelled to Guyana on July 30 to get a first-hand view of the crash. Persad-Bissessar and her ministers also visited some of the injured passengers.
"We thank God for his mercies that not a life was lost and it serves to remind us of the safety track record of Caribbean Airlines," Persad-Bissessar said later.
Understandably, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar echoed the sentiment being felt abroad following the incident. We are mindful of the airline's solid reputation, but as she indicated, there would be some ill-effects following the crash. However, she stressed that CAL has a proven track record.
"We need to remind ourselves, I want to repeat this and I cannot say it enough, that the safety and record of Caribbean Airlines remains, in that not a life has been lost in over the period of time, its previous incarnation as Bwee/BWIA. So thank God for the miracle that has occurred as we probe into this matter to find out what could have led to it," she said.
With investigations underway into why this crash occurred, we look forward to the findings and to the reassuring and necessary steps taken to avoid a similar occurrence.