The tail section of Flight BW523

Guyanese officials have reconsidered a decision to remove the tail section of the downed Caribbean Airlines plane with Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar saying to do so would be tantamount to evidence tampering.

The Boeing 737-800 jet skidded off the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) runway early Saturday morning with the fuselage breaking in two leaving the tail section protruding above the level of the tarmac.

Contacted on Sunday a senior aviation official told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that they will await the arrival of the US federal and other investigators who are expected to arrive in the country later in the day.

The official acknowledged that the protruding tail would shorten the usable length of the runway by 500 ft but that this was within the “tolerance level” or limitations to accommodate commercial jetliners temporarily. The overall length of the runwayis 7500 ft.

On Saturday, Transport Minister Robeson Benn said that the tail would be removed to make the runway safe, a decision which was taken in consultation with experts.

At a news conference at the Pegasus Hotel on Sunday Persad-Bissessar said that she believed that the tail should be left as is since to remove it would amount to evidence tampering.

“Last night I indicated to our civil aviation staff and Caribbean Airlines that the aircraft should not be touched or moved because it is in fact evidence and we would not want to have any allegations of contamination of that evidence.

The tail, I have asked for it to remain, I think it is important. My gut instinct tells me, and of course I’m a lawyer, that you do not tamper with the scene of an event like this. I’ve been advised that the insurers are saying it’s okay to move it but we don’t have that in writing for example so it could impact upon that.

She added that officials from the US National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) had indicated that the tail could be removed but that too was not in writing and she preferred to go with her gut.

President Bharrat Jagdeo at a subsequent briefing with the media said the removal of the tail section was a decision he was going to leave to his technical people since it was not one for politicians.

“I gather that our person in charge of the investigation has contacted the NTSB and the NTSB has said it is okay to remove the tail; we don’t want anything obstructing our airport because they’ve had to shorten the runway because of this obstruction.

The technical officials are going to make that decision and safety is our primary concern; I’m not going to participate in that decision, he added.

Jagdeo said he did not discuss the matter with Persad-Bissessar when they met prior to the briefing because he did not think it was a matter for politicians.

Eight NTSB specialists are expected in Guyana on Sunday at 5PM with aviation experts also coming from, the US Federal Aviation Authority, manufacturer Boeing, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Prior to her courtesy call on the president Persad-Bissessar visited the Georgetown Public Hospital where she met the three passengers who were admitted and presented a bouquet to Noel Elliot who suffered a fractured right leg.

PM Persad-Bissessar presents a boquet to Noel Elliot who was on Flight BW523.

He is in Guyana from the US for his wedding anniversary.

The other patients were Juliet Shiwbodh, 69, who sustained an injury to her forehead and Nikita Allen, 20, who suffered a cerebral concussion and trauma to the abdomen. They are from Whim and Hopetown respectively.