TRANSPORT Minister Robeson Benn yesterday told the Guyana Chronicle that the plane crash in the jungles of Region 7 on Tuesday could have been caused by a power failure.

Responding to a query from this newspaper about the plane crash, Minister Benn said that in addition to the power failure, the crash could have also been caused by engine failure. He however explained that there is no clear determination as yet of the cause of the crash, as investigations are still ongoing.

The minister said he was aware that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority had been questioning several persons about the incident, among them the pilot and owner of the downed aircraft.
The minister told this newspaper that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is making efforts to have the engine of the craft brought out of the area in order to facilitate the investigation.
The investigators from the GCAA who went to the area on Tuesday returned on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, four persons escaped a horrific death after the plane they were travelling in fell out of the sky in Region 7. The survivors are Ivor Williams, Troy Daniels, Leon Bristol and the plane’s owner and pilot, Bernard Singh. They were the only persons on board the aircraft at the time of the mishap.

The accident occurred just after 11:00 hours on Tuesday morning, shortly after the single engine light aircraft had taken off from the Aura Airstrip in Region 7, reportedly heading to another mining camp with three of Singh’s employees on board.

While medical personnel related that out of the four injured, one seemed more critical, all of the injured were flown to the city, and were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital for medical attention.

They were stabilized at the crash site by medical personnel for the Guyana Defence Force who had travelled to the area.

Immediately after the distress call was made from a satellite phone by the pilot of the craft, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority activated its search and rescue coordination centre.
Moments later, the Guyana Defence Force, which is also part of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Unit, dispatched two medical personnel into the area to offer medical attention to the injured, and to have them stabilized.

The GDF personnel were accompanied by investigators from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.
The downed aircraft, number N87619, was easily spotted; and getting to the injured was not much of a challenge, as compared to a more recent case when the rescue centre was activated.

(By Leroy Smith)