GEORGETOWN – Investigators from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), are scheduled to visited the site a plane crash that claimed the life of a Roraima Airways pilot on Tuesday.
The pilot has been identified as Captain Collin Martin, 38.
The Authority will also launch a probe into the incident that occurred in the western district of Eteringbang.
The Accident Investigation Group, an entity separate from the GCAA, is also expected to independently probe the incident and produce a preliminary report.
GCAA director general, Retired Colonel Egbert Fields said the investigation would include an autopsy, examination of the wreckage and interviews.
“I don’t think we will be short of witnesses because anytime an aircraft is heard overhead, there is always a lot of people coming out to see – just to enjoy, to see the sight of an aircraft- so we shouldn’t have too many problems to find individuals who can be interviewed,” Fields said.
According to reports, the plane went down at approximately 5:48pm (local time) about 200 metres on the approach to the Eteringbang airstrip.
“The only report that we have so far is that the aircraft was closing off its operations for the day. It was empty, the pilot was flying alone and going into land when the aircraft crashed. We don’t have any indication at this time- the reason it happened,” chief executive officer of the Roraima Group of Companies, Captain Gerry Gouveia told reporters.
He also said that the plane, bearing registration number 8R-GRA, and another Roraima Airways plane were about to land at Eteringbang to overnight when the incident occurred.
The CEO hailed Captain Martin as an “experienced and wonderful pilot” who was working with the domestic carrier for at least six years during which time he emerged as “out star evacuation pilot”, sacrificing his life to save many lives.
“He is a great loss to Roraima. The entire Roraima team is very, very shaken at the moment,” he said of the former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major who served in the Special Forces. (CMC)
