Roraima plane crash: Plane left Imbaimadai; experienced mechanical difficulties

The Roraima Airways airplane that crash-landed near the Haags Bosch Landfill site, along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), left Imbaimadai in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on Saturday morning, but experienced mechanical difficulties during the flight.

This is according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Public Works on Saturday afternoon.

The statement related that at approximately 11:30hrs a Britten-Norman Trislander aircraft bearing Registration No. 8R GRE, that belonged to Roraima Airways Limited, was forced to crash-land in a swamp-like area near the landfill site.

It was stated that the aircraft left Imbaimadai at approximately 10:20hrs, and was scheduled to arrive at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast of Demerara (ECD) in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

However, the ministry said the aircraft was reported to have experienced mechanical difficulties.

When the aircraft crash landed, a Search and Rescue operation was immediately activated by the Timehri Control Tower, and operatives from both the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force were mobilised and dispatched to the scene of the incident.

Five persons were aboard the aircraft: two adults, an infant passenger and two crew members. The News Room reported earlier that the infant passenger was a two-year-girl.

Roraima Airways, in a statement, said that none of the individuals who were onboard the flight received any life-threatening injuries.

Importantly, the public works ministry said that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has dispatched its investigation team to the scene of the incident to commence the investigation.