Revocation of licences among sanctions for breach of new aviation safety measures- GCAA
-public reporting campaign being implemented
As part of new air safety measures, pilots and other aviation operators will now face the possible revocation of their licences if found culpable of deviating from regulations set by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
This was announced yesterday by Director General of the GCAA Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, during a press conference held to discuss the implementation of three new oversight programmes to ensure air safety in wake of the recent accidents involving domestic aircraft.
The programmes are expected to be implemented with immediate effect.
Pilot Lincoln Gomez and Policeman Michael Grimond had to be rescued on the evening of February 18th, 2019 after a Guyana Adventist Medical Aviation Services (GA-MAS) medevac plane crash-landed on the West Bank Demerara.
Initial reports indicated that the single engine Cessna 182, bearing registration number N8704T, had reported a fuel emergency. The two men, both of whom suffered non-life threatening injuries about their bodies, were at the time transporting a corpse from Region Seven.
Two days later, Domestic Airways pilot Randy Liverpool died when his plane, a Cessna 206, crashed upon approach at the Eteringbang Airstrip.
The Guyana Police Force, in a statement issued following the accident, explained that the aircraft was travelling from Ekereku to Eteringbang and was about five minutes away from the airstrip when it went down. A loud explosion was heard and fire was seen coming from the aircraft.
Addressing the investigations into the accidents, Field told members of the media that they are being conducted by the designated accident investigator in charge, Paula McAdam, who will be reporting directly to the subject minister.
Notwithstanding, the GCAA is assisting the investigator with its expert inspectors, operations inspector, and airworthiness inspector being assigned to her during the probe.
According to Field, Guyana has for some time enjoyed an “unprecedented” safety record within the domestic aviation sector but with the recent turn of events he has been meeting with those in the industry to discuss a way forward.
The most recent meeting was on Monday evening, when they were told of the necessity of having more stringent oversight programmes that will extend beyond the ambit of GCAA inspectors, particularly since its human resources are already limited.
‘See something, say something’ With the lack of human resources, the GCAA has opted to use members of the