Caribbean Airlines Flight 523
2011 aviation accident in Guyana
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Caribbean Airlines Flight 523 was a passenger flight that overran the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Georgetown, Guyana, on 30 July 2011. Out of the 163 occupants onboard, no one was killed, but seven people were injured. The aircraft involved, a Boeing 737-8BK, was operating Caribbean Airlines' scheduled international service from John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, to Georgetown, Guyana.
9Y-PBM, the aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in 2010 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 30 July 2011 |
| Summary | Runway overrun on landing due to pilot error |
| Site | |
 | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-8BK |
| Operator | Caribbean Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | BW523 |
| ICAO flight No. | BWA523 |
| Call sign | CARIBBEAN 523 |
| Registration | 9Y-PBM |
| Flight origin | John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, United States |
| Stopover | Piarco International Airport, Port of Spain, Trinidad |
| Destination | Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Georgetown, Guyana |
| Occupants | 163 |
| Passengers | 157 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 7 |
| Survivors | 163 |
Background
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-8BK, MSN 29635, registered as 9Y-PBM, that was built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 2007. It logged about 14861 airframe hours and was equipped with two CFM56-7B26/3 engines.[1][2]: 26
Crew
There were two pilots in the flight deck:
- The captain of the flight was 52-year-old Fareed Dean.[3] He had been flying for the airline for 25 years, and had logged 9,600 hours of total flight time, of which 5,000 were on the Boeing 737-800. Prior to the accident flight, Dean had only slept for two-and-a-half hours due to an "all-day meeting," but he considered himself to have been well-rested.[2]: 24
- The first officer was 23-year-old Jason Naipaul.[3] He had been flying for the airline for three years, and had a total flight time of 1,400 hours, of which 350 hours were on the Boeing 737-800. This was the crew's first pairing together, but First Officer Naipaul knew of Captain Dean, "by reputation to be a good, honest person, who knew how to boost people's morale."[4][2]: 24
Accident
The aircraft failed to stop in rainy weather, overrunning the runway at 01:32 local time (05:32 UTC), crashing through the perimeter fence. The aircraft stopped 100 metres (330 ft) past the end of runway 06 after it went over a road and broke into two sections.[1][5][6]
There were 157 passengers and 6 crew on the aircraft.[7][8] There were no fatalities,[6] and serious injuries were two passengers suffering broken legs. The majority of the injured were treated at Diamond Diagnostic Hospital then sent onto Georgetown Public Hospital, where 35 passengers were treated for leg, back and neck injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.[9][10][11][12] The accident represents the ninth hull loss of a Boeing 737-800.[1]
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar flew to Guyana to assess the situation, because the government of Trinidad and Tobago owns Caribbean Airlines.[13] Guyana's emergency response team appeared at the accident scene two hours after the incident. Further officials from the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were invited to Guyana to aid in investigations.[14][15] The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) will head the technical investigation, with assistance from the NTSB and the TTCAA.[16]
Investigation
The Government Information Agency (GINA) Guyana reported the probable cause to be pilot error, stating: "The cause of the accident was the aircraft touching down far beyond the touchdown zone due to the captain maintaining excess power during the flare and not using the airplane's full deceleration capacity, resulting in the aircraft over running the pavement and fracturing the fuselage."[1][2]
Aftermath
Captain Dean remained employed by Caribbean Airlines but was moved to the role of a first officer. First Officer Naipaul left Caribbean Airlines in 2012.[17]
See also
- Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256, a runway excursion at the same airport, on the same runway, ending in the same spot, seven years later
- Air India Express Flight 812, another Boeing 737-800 that suffered a runway excursion due to pilot error, with fatalities.
- American Airlines Flight 331, also experienced a runway excursion due to inclement weather and pilot error.
