A United States-registered plane that crash-landed on Wakenaam two years ago, again reportedly suffered a similar fate on the Essequibo island on Friday last, shortly after it was repaired, according to sources.
Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Zulfikar Mohammed, indicated that engineers had done some work on the Cessna 152 plane and steps were being taken to have it certified.He said the plane, bearing registration number N65589, was damaged while doing some “run-ups” which included high- speed taxiing, when it ran off the edge of the airstrip. Mohammed said they had planned to fly it to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
However, reports from eyewitnesses vary and some said that the plane was airborne and nose-dived and slipped off on the right-hand side of the airstrip. The pilot reportedly sustained minor bruises and was treated at the Wakenaam Hospital and sent away.
The plane reportedly crash-landed on a rice field on Wakenaam in November 2011 after it ran out of fuel while on a delivery flight to Brazil. At the time, the plane was flying from Trinidad. At that time, it was believed that the aircraft had force-landed because it ran low on fuel, due to heavy winds and miscalculation.
The plane was lifted by tractor and trailer to a house adjacent to the airstrip where repairs were completed on Friday last.