Mechanical failure strikes small aircraft

An aircraft touching down at the Canouan Airport last Tuesday suffered a malfunction soon after landing.

The incident occurred just after 3 pm on January 26, when the landing gear of a Venezuelan-registered aircraft collapsed – causing it to veer off the runway.

Speaking with SEARCHLIGHT, director of airports Corsel Robertson confirmed that the incident had occurred;{{more}} stressing that neither of the plane’s two occupants had received any injuries.

“The aircraft landed; the pilot said it started rolling – the normal taxi after landing – and then during that period, he

had his speed under control… The landing gear on the right collapsed,” explained Robertson.

“He [the pilot] doesn’t know why it collapsed, and he kept his control pretty much until he got past 2,000 ft., and then it veered off into the grass.”

The incident prompted Robertson to travel down to the Grenadine island, along with an inspector from the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA).

Robertson said that the pilot is unsure of why the landing gear malfunctioned, as the twin-engine six-seater had not shown any sign of problems previously.

The pilot, who is currently still in Canouan, had originally planned to depart today (Friday), but will have to extend his stay while repairs are made to the light aircraft.

The flight originated in Caracas, Venezuela and is a Piper PA-23-250 Aztec F aircraft. (JSV)