…GCAA opens probe

A TEAM of investigators from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) headed to Eteringbang in Region Seven on Wednesday morning after a Roraima Airways plane crashed on Tuesday afternoon, killing its pilot. The aircraft, a Britten-Norman islander bearing registration, 8R-GRA, crashed on approach to landing around 17:53hrs on Tuesday. The airline’s chief pilot, Captain Collin Martin, 39, who was the lone occupant at the time, succumbed to injuries he sustained during the accident. The GCAA team, along with personnel from Roraima Airways, left the Eugene F Correia International airport at Ogle for Eteringbang on Wednesday morning to commence investigations into the fatal crash. The team’s initial departure time was delayed by bad weather at their place of destination. On Tuesday afternoon, Captain Martin was engaged in the shuttling of fuel for miners between the Ekereku aerodrome and Eteringbang. The aircraft crashed in an area of thick vegetation while preparing to land. Another aircraft operated by Roraima, registered as 8R-GRB, was flying in the area at the time of the incident and saw what happened. Roraima’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Captain Gerry Gouveia, noted on social media that the aircraft involved in the accident made a “quick” nose-dive into the dense jungle in the area. This was corroborated by reports from aviation sources. Captain Martin, a former

Major in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), has been described by colleagues as one of the hardworking pilots at Roraima. He was credited with undertaking a number of medical evacuation flights from the hinterland, especially during the night. Meanwhile, His Excellency President David Granger, in a statement said he is  deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Captain Collin Winston Martin, Chief Pilot at Roraima Airways.

Prior to his employment at Roraima Airways, Captain Martin served as a member of the Guyana Defence Force, having joined on March 1, 1995. He was commissioned as an Officer on November 12, 1995 and served for seventeen years, attaining the rank of Major before retiring on May 4, 2012. President Granger extends sincere condolences to the wife of the late Captain Martin, Dr. Roberta Martin, his daughter, Rebecca Martin, his mother and other relatives, as well as Captain Gerry Gouveia and the staff of Roraima Airways.  In August 2016, the aircraft involved in Tuesday’s accident sustained substantial damage to its under-carriage after it encountered mechanical problems during take-off at Eteringbang. The pilot lost control of the aircraft at the time and during the aborted take-off attempt, it ran-off the runway and careened into a valley. No one was injured.The aircraft came to prominence in November, 1996 when it was hijacked by three Spanish-speaking men at Kwebanna in the North West District. It was found several months later covered by bushes in Colombia. Guyana’s domestic aviation sector has experienced several accidents over the past decade. Most accidents have been non-fatal, however, there have been several instances which involved the loss of lives of the pilots and crew. The most recent fatal accident occurred in January, 2014 when a Trans Guyana Airways Cessna Caravan, bearing registration 8R-GHS crashed during a flight from the Olive Creek airstrip to Imbaimadai in Region Seven.Flight TGA 700 crashed approximately two and one-half minutes after takeoff, 3km south of Olive Creek. The pilot, Captain Blake Slater and cargo handler, Dwayne Jacobs died in the crash.A GCAA investigation report stated that the probable cause of the accident was due to a power loss suffered by the engine. In another incident, in April, 2013, a Piper PA-23-250 aircraft, bearing registration – N27FT was destroyed when it crashed into a residential area at Sparendaam, shortly after departing from the Eugene F Correia International Airport at Ogle. Those killed in the mid-afternoon accident were Nick Dmitriev, 54, a survey technician and Pierre Angiel, 71, the pilot and owner of the aircraft, who were in Guyana to do aerial surveys and digital mapping for the Amalia Falls Hydro-project.The GCAA said the probable cause of that accident was due to failure of the right engine and possible loss of power in the left engine, and subsequent attempted forced landing in which the aircraft was destroyed by post impact forces and post-impact fire. In December 2014, an Air Services Limited (ASL) Britten Norman Islander, registered as 8R-GHE disappeared while on a routine shuttle operation from Mahdia to Karisparu in Region Eight. The pilot, Captain Nicholas Persaud, 27, and cargo handler David Bisnauth, 51, along with the aircraft, have not been found. Subsequent searches by ASL and the GCAA came up empty-handed. The search was called off on January 19, 2015 with the crew presumed dead.