Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256
 N524AT, the aircraft involved, photographed in August 2013 | |
| Runway Overrun | |
|---|---|
| Date | 9 November 2018 |
| Summary | Runway excursion; possible hydraulics failure[1] |
| Site | Cheddi Jagan International Airport 6°30′25.1″N 58°14′44.7″W / 6.506972°N 58.245750°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 757-23N |
| Operator | Fly Jamaica Airways |
| IATA flight No. | OJ256[2] |
| ICAO flight No. | FJM256[2] |
| Call sign | Greenheart 256[2] |
| Registration | N524AT |
| Flight origin | Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana |
| Destination | Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupants | 126 |
| Passengers | 118 |
| Crew | 8 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 5 |
| Survivors | 125 |
Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. The Boeing 757 aircraft serving the flight suffered a technical fault on 9 November 2018, forcing its return and resulting in a runway excursion on landing. This caused significant damage to the aircraft and one passenger fatality.
Aircraft[edit]
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 757-23N, registration N524AT, powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. It was built in 1999 and first flew with ATA Airlines, VIM, Aurela and Thomas Cook before being acquired by Fly Jamaica in 2012.[3]
Flight details and accident[edit]
The aircraft departed from Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana on 9 November 2018 at 02:09 local time, bound for Toronto, Canada.[3] The flight subsequently reported a fault with the hydraulic system; as a result, the pilot aborted the climb and the plane returned to the departure airport for an emergency landing, touching down at 02:53. During the landing, the aircraft overran the runway and hit the airport perimeter fence, sustaining substantial damage in the process to the right-hand main landing gear and the No. 2 engine.[4][5][6][1]
Passengers and crew[edit]
There were 118 passengers and 8 crew members on board the aircraft. Six people were injured and an 86-year-old female passenger subsequently died on 16 November 2018 due to injuries sustained during the incident.[7][3][8]
| Country | No. |
|---|---|
| Passengers | |
| Canada | 82 |
| Guyana | 35 |
| United States | 1 |
| Pakistan | 1 |
| Trinidad | 1 |
| Crew | |
| Guyana | 6 |
| Jamaica | 2 |
Investigation[edit]
The accident was investigated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) with assistance from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) and the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).[9]
Aftermath[edit]
After the accident Fly Jamaica Airways ceased its operation on March 31, 2019, aggravated by financial difficulties and lack of aircraft.[10]
Lawsuit[edit]
A few weeks after the accident, two class-action lawsuits against Fly Jamaica Airways and Airbus, the plane's manufacturer, were filed by the passengers of the flight demanding a payment of $5 million. Furthermore, the lawsuits could proceed as individual actions. According to this lawsuits, the protagonists involved in the event are accused of negligence, that the plane had difficulties while taking off and that the crew had not declared the emergency situation beforehand.
Finally, on January 10, 2024, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the payment of $5.55 million which was awarded to the 84 members of the class-action lawsuit made up of passengers and their families. Other members of an individual class-action lawsuit could receive $8,000 to $25,000 each based on the severity of their injuries.[11]
See also[edit]
- Flight with disabled controls
- United Airlines Flight 232
- Turkish Airlines Flight 981
- Japan Airlines Flight 123
- Eastern Air Lines Flight 935
- 2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
References[edit]
- ^ a b Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 757-23N N524AT Georgetown-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO)". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- ^ a b c "Fly Jamaica Fleet Details and History - Planespotters.net". Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ a b c "Emergency declared 18 minutes into the flight". express.co.uk. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ "Six injured as Fly Jamaica aircraft makes emergency landing in Guyana". jamaica-gleaner.com. 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Fly Jamaica plane crashes on emergency landing at CJIA – News Room Guyana". newsroom.gy. 9 November 2018.
- ^ "CRASH: Fly Jamaica plane makes emergency landing in Guyana - St. Lucia News Online". St. Lucia News Online. 9 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ "Senior injured in Fly Jamaica crash landing succumbs". stabroeknews.com. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "Fly Jamaica jet crash-lands". jamaicaobserver.com. 10 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^ "DCA19RA025". ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. DCA19RA025. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Fly Jamaica Airways ceases operations". www.thehabarinetwork.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Abby (10 January 2024). "Passengers on 2018 flight to Toronto that crashed in Guyana reach class-action settlement". CP24. Retrieved 28 February 2024.