BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A LIAT DASH-8 aircraft was Wednesday afternoon forced to return to Barbados about midway into a flight to Guyana due to a problem with an “avionics fan”.
The aircraft landed without incident around 3:12 p.m.(local time) and a fire tender was on standby on the apron.
The passengers, who 45 minutes earlier, had boarded Flight 521 for Guyana, disembarked in an orderly manner, after being informed that the aircraft was returning to the Sir Grantley Adams Airport.
The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) correspondent, Kenton Chance, who was on the flight to Guyana, said passengers remained calm after the announcement from the flight deck that the navigation system was overheating as a result of the malfunctioning avionics fan.
The crew later told passengers that while the aircraft could complete the flight to Guyana, it was felt it would be better to return to Barbados.
The crew member said that if the aircraft continued to Guyana, it would have to remain there and this could further disrupt the airline’s schedule.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart Barbados at 12:15 p.m. (local time) Wednesday but left about an hour later. Passengers were told that this was a due to a delay in the aircraft arriving from St. Lucia. [Caribbean360.com]
