World

Jet From New York Crashes in Guyana — Everyone Survives

A Caribbean Airlines jet coming from New York crashed and broke in two while landing in Guyana with 163 people aboard on Saturday, causing several injuries but no deaths, said President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Boeing 737-800 apparently overshot the 7,400-foot (2,200-meter) runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in rainy weather. It barely missed a 200-foot (60-meter) ravine that could have resulted in dozens of fatalities, he said.

“We are very, very grateful that more people were not injured,” he said as authorities closed the airport, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and delaying dozens of flights. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Authorities struggled at first to remove passengers without adequate field lights and other emergency equipment. About 100 people received medical attention, with four hospitalized for serious injuries, said Devant Maharaj, transportation minister in Trinidad, where Caribbean Airlines is based.

He said the company is sending a team to the South American country to help investigate the crash. No further details were available. Maharaj spoke at a press conference in Trinidad and took no questions, saying the investigation is ongoing.

Among the injured was Geeta Ramsingh, 41, of Philadelphia, who said passengers had just started to applaud the touchdown “when it turned to screams,” she said, pointing to bruises on her knees. She said she hopped onto the wing and then onto the dirt road outside the runway fence.

“I am upset that no one came to rescue us in the dark, but a taxi driver appeared from nowhere and charged me $20 to take me to the terminal. I had to pay, but in times of emergencies, you don’t charge people for a ride,” she said, sitting on a chair in the arrival area surrounded by relatives. She was returning to her native country for only the second time in 30 years.

Adis Cambridge, 42, of Guyana, said she felt the thump of a hard landing but did not think much of it until seconds later.

“I realized that everything was on top of me, people and bags. I was the second to last person to get off that plane in the dark,” she said, surrounded by her two young children who had come to the airport to meet her after a brief holiday in the U.S.

“I hit my head on the roof. It was so scary,” she said as she described hopping onto the wing and then jumping down to the dirt road below as crews with flashlights and beams from fire engines searched for passengers.

Some passengers asked authorities for their luggage but were told it was not a priority at the time.

The plane had left New York and made a stop in Trinidad before landing in Guyana. The airline said it was carrying 157 passengers and six crewmembers.

Jagdeo said he has asked the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to help investigate the crash. He said crews were pushing to reopen the airport as soon as possible.

The crash of Flight BW523 is the worst in recent history in Guyana, and only one of the few serious incidents involving the Trinidad-based airline. It is the single largest carrier in the region, operating at least five daily flights.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Comments (20)

  • DetroitsLanique
    Posted on July 31, 2011 at 10:42am

    Everyone survived! Now thats the type of news I like to hear

    Report Post » DetroitsLanique  
  • notmeatglennbeckdotcom
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 8:54pm

    My brother always said, I don’t mind being on a plane when my time is up, but I sure don‘t want to be on a plane when somebody else’s time is up.”

    These are some very lucky people. To all you Aethiests – If 9/11 and every other tragedy was God’s fault or proves that he is not a loving God, what was this – just a coincidence?

    Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on July 31, 2011 at 2:51am

      Do you realize how ridiculous your view is?
      “Every bit of luck is (scientific) proof of God existence and God was on vacation those other times, or God had to take that one bad person out with massive collateral damages because God’s an omnipotent being and such.”
      Yeah… Hey, maybe God should have prevented the crash in the first place seeing as how God was there and no one had to die this time. I bet a lot of people could have done without the injuries.
      It seems your God is SO powerful yet apparently very clumsy and inconsistent. Perhaps you should reevaluate your view of Gods powers and interactions in our daily lives. Because if God has the power to save their lives he also had the power to prevent the crash and the misery of the injured in the first place. And I bet you wonder why there are so many atheist. Its because people like you shoulder to much on Gods back.

      Humanity may be Gods doing but luck is math and physics. Leave it at that and stop praising him for stupid luck otherwise he’s immensely guilty for all the suffering on earth.

      Signed,
      Forever Agnostic

      Report Post » Pontiac  
    • affinnity
      Posted on July 31, 2011 at 12:33pm

      Pontiac. It’s a funny joke. You need to take your medication, on time, every day.

      Report Post » affinnity  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on July 31, 2011 at 6:21pm

      The first half was a joke, the rest wasn’t. He asked “was this just a coincidence” as if he was implying God saved them. God made a rather lame effort if he did. Sorry but I’m sick and tired of the praises for an unreliable God. Its as if every plane, train, or automobile that doesn’t crash does so by the grace of God.
      I’ll hit post by atheist hard, but I’ll hit religious post even harder when they mindlessly attribute praise with zero basis for it.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
  • saigonpaul
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 8:10pm

    just keep the pilot in mind as this is what we are in for when the NEW health care takes hold. think we will get a good doctor or x pilot??

    Report Post »  
  • Netsurfer2
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 6:11pm

    Maybe they need to train the Pilots better??? Nothing was wrong with the plane, looks like Pilot error! When you put many lives into the hands of people flying the plane, you would think that they would understand the procedures in what they should always do while landing and taking off.

    Report Post » Netsurfer2  
  • TSully85
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 5:40pm

    Somebody forgot how to shoot an ILS approach. If you’re long add power, go around. Glad nobody actually won a Darwin award here.

    Report Post »  
  • BubbaCoop
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 5:15pm

    Not a great aviation day http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/2-killed-in-wright-flyer-plane-crash-1219113.html

    Report Post »  
  • Just plain Rick
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 5:07pm

    You just walk away from a plane crash in which you could have been killed and you bitch about having to pay cabfare? Are you kidding me? You should be kissing the ground and thanking god you’re still here.

    Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on July 30, 2011 at 6:07pm

      I’d tell the cab driver to kiss my Obama!!!!!!

      Report Post »  
  • Gypsy123
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 4:41pm

    Funny people in America think that they shouldn’t have to pay the taxi. That is because you aren’t in America anymore things are different in the jungle

    Report Post » Gypsy123  
    • jackbauer
      Posted on July 30, 2011 at 5:53pm

      Welcome to South America were everyone has to figure out how to make their own dime. No Obama stash of cash, to “take care” of food for the day.

      Report Post » jackbauer  
    • discardofevil
      Posted on July 30, 2011 at 10:25pm

      @jackbauer you my man/lady are sooooo correct! No free rides there! Maybe Obama should move there? I wish!!!

      Report Post »  
  • The_Almighty_Creestof
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 4:36pm

    Oddly enough, when the Guyana division of the RedCross offered the passengers Koolaid as a refreshment…they declined.

    Report Post »  
  • LadyIzShy
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 4:36pm

    glad it wasnt worse..

    Report Post » LadyIzShy  
  • MODEL82A1
    Posted on July 30, 2011 at 4:34pm

    Glenn Beck wasn’t aboard to scout out a new piece of real estate, was he? God forbid.

    Report Post » MODEL82A1  
    • bikerr
      Posted on July 30, 2011 at 6:36pm

      @MODEL82A1—Wait……………………….What?

      Report Post »  

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