Trans Guyana Airways

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

On 17th January, 2014, the day before the accident, the pilot departed from his company base, Ogle International Airport (SYGO) with another aircraft, a Cessna 208B, Registration – 8R-GHT. He was tasked to do two days of shuttling; the first day between Olive Creek and Ekereku Bottom Airstrips, and the second day between Olive Creek and Imbaimadai Airstrips. The pilot was accompanied by a third crew/loader, whose duty was to ensure that the aircraft was properly loaded for each trip, and an aircraft engineer who was assigned to carry out minor maintenance duties and refuel the aircraft as required for the duration of the shuttle operations. It was reported that on the first day, during a landing at Ekereku Bottom, the aircraft encountered severe wind conditions that resulted in a hard landing. The pilot was very concerned about the hard landing and expressed this to several individuals. He was concerned enough to log the hard landing in the Aircraft Technical Log. After the hard landing the aircraft was visually inspected by the engineer who declared the aircraft fit for flight. However while taxying prior to takeoff the aircraft suffered a right brake seizure. The engineer freed and bled the brake line. Tests were done on the brakes and the aircraft was flown to Olive Creek. The hard landing and the brake failure were reported to base and an instruction was passed that this aircraft should be brought back to Ogle by another pilot. Another Cessna 208B aircraft, 8R-GHS, the accident aircraft, was left with the pilot for him to complete his shuttle schedule the next day. On the afternoon of the first day, the pilot flew this aircraft, 8R-GHS to Kamarang Airstrip, where he overnighted. On the second day, 18th January, 2014, he departed Kamarang at 10:30hrs UTC for Olive Creek with the engineer and the loader. The engineer was left at Olive Creek. The pilot, with the loader, did one shuttle from Olive Creek to Imbaimadai. He returned to Olive Creek where the aircraft was refueled and then did three shuttles between Olive Creek and Imbaimadai. After these three shuttles the aircraft was again refueled. He completed one shuttle, Olive Creek/Imbaimadai/Olive Creek and had just taken off on the second in this series of shuttles when the accident occurred during midmorning. Both the pilot and the third crew were killed in the crash.

Britten-Norman Islander

Following an uneventful flight, the pilot started the descent to Port Kaituma in poor weather conditions (heavy rain falls). After touchdown on a wet runway, the twin engine aircraft skidded, veered off runway, hit a pole with its left wing and lost its nose gear before coming to rest. While all four occupants escaped with minor injuries, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Short SC.7 Skyvan Variant

One minute after takeoff from Georgetown-Ogle Airport runway 24, the pilot declared an emergency after an engine failed. He elected to return for an emergency landing but eventually attempted to land in a sugarcane field when the aircraft crashed near the airport. Five people were seriously injured while two others were killed.

Britten-Norman Islander

The twin engine aircraft was descending to Kurupung Airstrip in marginal weather conditions when it collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located in hilly terrain. The pilot, sole on board, was killed. The aircraft was on its way to Kurupung to deliver fuel drums.

Britten-Norman Islander

After touchdown at Holitipu Airport, the twin engine aircraft collided with construction machinery and came to rest. There were no injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.