…residents heard ‘huge’ explosionsBy Leonard GildarieOne day after a bird strike forced a Caribbean Airlines flight to land 10 minutes after takeoff, authorities are moving to reduce the number of birds around the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).Airport authorities are working to reduce the number of birds in the CJIA area after one was sucked into a plane engine Tuesday causing severe damage.Officials discovered illegal dumping grounds, off the Soesdyke/Linden highway, on which feathers and other waste from the chicken and pig farms in the area were found. The areas were burned. It is estimated that around 14 chicken and pig farms exist in the area.Yesterday, the Caribbean Airlines B737-800 aircraft, Registration 9Y-ANU,cheap jerseys, was still grounded at the airport with parts for the propeller flown in.According to Minister of Transport,Wholesale Jerseys, Robeson Benn, the situation with the dumping was even more serious than thought. In addition to the burning, equipment was used to cover over some areas.The dumping grounds were blamed on attracting the vultures (carrion crows) which caused the damage.Speaking with Kaieteur News, Benn said that a special working group was set up to resolve the situation.Yesterday, the Minister met with representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),Cheap China Jerseys, CJIA, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the Guyana Poultry Producers Association at the airport.“The implications to the safety of aircraft operations by the presence of birds around the airport and in aircraft flight paths were addressed and it was agreed that a number of measures will be implemented to discourage the presence of birds in the Timehri/Soesdyke areas,Jerseys NFL Wholesale,” a government release said yesterday.“These measures include sensitization of livestock farmers on the dangers and impact of bird strikes and mitigating actions that can be taken to prevent birds within close proximity of the airport. One such action proposed was the disposal of waste materials in an environmentally friendly and safe manner. A cull of the birds is also being contemplated.”Residents said that they heard explosions with well-known pilot, Mike Charles, who lives in the area, recalling seeing the smoke from one engine.“If you live in the Soesdyke/Timehri area, you would know that it is normal people would pay attention to the planes that land. The noise was loud so almost everybody at home would have heard it.”Charles,Cheap NFL Jerseys, an aircraft enthusiast retained by government to assist, estimates that over 1000 birds live in the area.Kaieteur News was told that the aircraft was landed back on one engine, without the use of the reverse thrust to slow the speed on the ground.Residents also reported hearing a heavy grating sound from the damaged propellers. Passengers were shaken with some of them reportedly seeing flames from the left engine and hearingthe explosions. According to airport officials,Wholesale Football Jerseys, the incident occurred around 10:26 hrs on Tuesday about five miles from airport.The flight was at the time carrying 152 passengers and six crewmembers. The aircraft was operating scheduled passenger flight, BW662 GEO-POS, and reportedly took off two minutes before the incident.Airport officials said that the plane had ascended to 3,000 feet when the bird was “ingested” into the left engine. Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting were on standby as the aircraft returned and landed about nine minutes later. Initial investigations revealed several badly bent propellers and according to officials the plane would be grounded until thorough checks are carried out. These include the engine being taken apart.The affected passengers left after 13:00hrs on another plane, this newspaper was told. The pilot of the damaged plane reportedly took control of another one that was on ground at CJIA, taking the shaken passenger to Trinidad, where the flight was originally headed.
