Aircraft crashes into valley at Eteringbang airstrip in failed takeoff bid

• suffers substantial damage

A locally-registered twin-engine 10-seater Islander aircraft has reportedly suffered substantial damage after it encountered problems during takeoff at the remote Eteringbang airstrip earlier today.

INews was reliably informed that the BN2A Islander aircraft encountered `technical problem’ halfway down the airstrip, which was wet at the time due to rainfall. The plane failed to takeoff and ended up some 15 to 20 feet in a valley at the end of the airstrip.

The incident reportedly occurred around noon today. The source told INews that the aircraft overnighted at Eteringbang airstrip in Guyana’s remote Cuyuni/Mazaruni region, near the Venezuelan border, and was about to takeoff from that airstrip en route to the Eugine Correia Airport at Ogle, East Coast Demerara when the unfortunate incident occurred. INews was told the pilot sustained no injuries.

Reports are that the said aircraft, with registration number 8R-GRA, had earlier encountered problems with its landing gear.