THE Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is investigating the circumstances   in which a pilot lost control of an aircraft while attempting to land at the airstrip at Baramita in the North West District around mid-morning yesterday.
The aircraft, a single engine Cessna 206, belonging to the local company, Oxford Aviation, was transporting cargo from Ogle to Baramita at the time.
It being a cargo flight, there were no passengers on board.
Initial reports said that the accident occurred around 09:30hrs after the aircraft had landed on the airstrip and before it could have been brought to a stop.
The aircraft hit the runway and the pilot lost control, a reliable source said.
The aircraft was extensively damaged, and the pilot, identified as Christopher George, managed to escape with minor injuries.
Director of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulfikar Mohamed, disclosed  that a team had been dispatched to Baramita to conduct investigations.
This is the second incident experienced by the Oxford Aviation company in recent months.
On August 21, 2010, the pilot and five passengers , in another Cessna 206 owned by the company, were on board when it skidded off the runway while departing from Ekereku in Region Seven (Upper Cuyuni/Upper Mazaruni).
They all managed to escape with minor injuries.
Sources in the aviation sector at the time disclosed that the airstrip at Ekereku had not been up to standard and this might have contributed to the incident.
The Oxford Aviation company was contacted but a senior official declined comment.