an airliner carrying a hundred and
twenty eight people 82 of them Canadians
has crash-landed in South America the
fly Jamaica plane had just left Guyana
it was headed to Toronto when the pilot
reported an emergency now the flight was
able to circle back to that airport in
Georgetown but it overshot the runway
when it landed I can tell you six people
were hurt we have gotten a touch of FATA
watching this story closely looking for
all developments Natasha what's the
latest socio Hannah's you've mentioned
six people were injured in that flight
as it crashed landed in to Diana's main
International Airport in Georgetown so
we know that 120 passengers were on
board including two infants 8 crew
members and 82 Canadians now this fly
Jamaica flight was meant to leave Guyana
early this morning make its way to
Toronto when something went terribly
wrong we know that the flight was
initially delayed for takeoff then it
took off at around 2:00 in the morning
and according to one of the passengers
it was spinning in circles it wasn't
taking off in the way it was meant to
and then shortly after takeoff the pilot
went on board the intercom and said that
there were hydraulics issues and that
they would have to make an emergency
landing back in Guyana so he radioed
back they started making their way there
and then seemingly according to one
passenger they landed safely but then
the wheels weren't working and they
couldn't bring the plane to a stop and
they were spinning right off the runway
and that's when things got very scary
for those on board let's have a listen
to that passenger we overshot the runway
and at the end there's a whole bunch of
spikes and we got two flat tires and
three tires of blown up blown out and
the plane shifted to the right one of
the wings came apart and the engine on
the right side actually flipped over and
we crashed into a big sand pile at an
edge of a cliff with there's a big drop
about 30 40 feet on the other side if we
had 10 more feet where were being down
in the cliff not in the ditch though
it's a miracle of our miracles and after
that plane landed he said that's when
people started screaming and
and cursing and they were told they
needed to evacuate the flight and he
says it's there that most of the
injuries took place it wasn't because of
that erratic landing and spinning off
the runway it was because there was so
much chaos getting out of the plane that
people were injured going down those
slides we know of at least two elderly
passengers who were taken to a nearby
hospital as a precaution six injuries
none of them particularly seriously and
the crew members say that everyone was
evacuated safely the local police are
looking into this part of the airport
has been cut off as the investigation
moves forward and the US National
Transportation Safety Board is now also
involved looking into this into finding
out exactly what went wrong in the
meantime all those passengers that were
hoping to be back in Toronto they have
to make alternative arrangements and the
airport as well as the plane provider is
saying that they'll try and support them
and some of them might be afraid to get
on a plane right away I mean their
hearts must have been pounding thank you
Natasha and you just heard a bit there
from in verba Dessie one of those
Canadians on board that flight
he spoke with CBC's Heather Hiscox from
his hotel in Georgetown here is their
full conversation I am very shaken and
very I don't know nervous and just a lot
of emotions going through me it's like
all my goosebumps are going to going
crazy it just doesn't shock it off more
or less I'm very glad that you're well
and able to talk to me and what we're
going to do is let's just go through
step by step through this story so we
can get your account you're the first
person we've heard on this so early in
the morning you were sitting in the
front of the plane to book 210 when the
plane took off but was there anything
unusual either at the time of takeoff or
prior to takeoff that made you give
pause yes there was the we're scheduled
to leave at 1:30 everyone was boarded
and ready to go but they had some issues
on one of the try one of the left side
front doors it will not close properly
we're not clear the signal so after they
call that maintenance crew took them
about 45 minutes that's why the delay
was to fix the problem and after the
that problems fix we are clear to take
off them and once we got clear to take
off
we flew about 15 10 15 minutes in the
air just over the Atlantic Ocean and we
circling around for a few times I
noticed and the captain announced
there's some hydraulic issue or
hydraulic problem has a return to the
airport okay let me let me jump in there
for just a second so that's what we
understand was the problem he radioed in
he'd had a problem with the hydraulic
system and he did announce that over the
loudspeaker to the passengers it is yes
that's correct
and then what did people do when they
heard there was going to be a problem
they had and you had to turn around well
most of them were sleeping at the time
because it was late in the morning right
so what that they didn't really pay
attention but I can't attention also
wide awake and I just kept my eyes more
awake see what we were doing and then
eventually we got back to the runway and
we did a nice landing wasn't a bumpy or
nothing out of the ordinary but he
turned the reverse thrusters on and then
when we landed on the ground the wheels
were still spinning they were not
braking there was no hydraulic brakes to
brake the wheels were stopping and then
we overshot the runway and at the end
there's a whole bunch of spikes and we
got two flat tires and three tires are
blown up blown out and the plane shifted
to the right one of the wings came apart
and the engine on the right side
actually flipped over and we crashed
into a big sand pile at an edge of a
cliff with there's a big drop about 30
40 feet on the other side if we had 10
more feet
where were we down in the cliff not in
the ditch that's the miracle of our
miracles well it really is okay so okay
let's just a look at it Mary we can see
we're looking at pictures so you can't
tell exactly but we're looking at
pictures of the plane now with that
front wheel in the sand and then the the
cliff is just obviously just in front of
the nose there so you're away you come
down and a fine landing as you say but
you're you're aware that the plane is
not coming to a stop and you're blowing
through things and what's going through
your mind that's coming up at that time
and they start cursing that's our pray
it was just that wouldn't want to start
chaos started going crazy everybody just
going crazy screaming no just crying for
their lives everything just that's the
crazy time it was anybody helping you
calm down the the flight attendants or
the or the pilots or anything were they
were they assisting you at all no I was
okay I was comfortable I understand it
was happening because
I was very close to the front of the
plane so when they said everything relax
relax we were all relaxed and then the
captain announced evacuate and then the
door opened announce person off the
plane I was in the front business class
Row one and I just jumped off and ran
for my life slid down the chute and and
ran away yeah I ran as far as I can
before that plane Prince of the big
fireball well thankfully it didn't cuz
we can see that plane on the screen but
emergency crews were they there waiting
for you to help you I know they came
about two minutes later I would presume
about two minutes three minutes to get
to the site because there are Park very
far from the terminal at the terminal so
where did your away from the plane and
was everyone running with you I mean was
it a scene of chaos as everyone just
tried to get off that as quickly as
possible
well my group was about 13 passengers
and about two crew members and the rest
of the crew went on the other side of
the plane I went down to the north side
of the plane I went in the south side on
the ditch side so we are like a small
group of us stay together okay we're
we're like outside the airport there
were friends over we had a defense the
the fire guys are the fence to get us
back into the airport
amazing now six people had injuries and
had to be taken to hospital for
treatment are you okay yes I'm fine
there there were injured because of
something on the slide and not getting
out the slide in fast enough so people
behind them are kicking them and try to
get them off anything there was a lot of
chaos at the bottom of the slide one of
the mentioned that there was smoke in
the cabin did you see that at all at any
point I
well I'd left first I took off and ran
but there was smoke where the engine
rolled over when I talked about 20
minutes after everybody was off the
plane then they out there they fire guys
on site that they they filmed it and
they never the smokin Oh outside the
plane so they cut the fence to bring you
in they're looking after you know how
are they treating you now what are you
hearing about what's going to happen to
you and coming them back
yeah flight Jamaica is not responding to
anybody they're just waiting waiting
waiting
and I might just have to buy a separate
ticket to get back to Canada because I
have a business to run and I got things
to do I can't stay here for three days
listen I hear the adrenaline in your
voice I fear III don't fear I think I'm
understanding that I you call it a
miracle of miracles here you are just
hours after this just to sum up the
whole experience as you've just lived it
yes well my father passed away last year
I think he's watching me and he gave me
a good fact I'm not ready for you yet
stay down there that was in verba Dessie
one of the Canadians on that plane that
had to make a crash landing and we're
just getting an alert from Global
Affairs Canada saying that while there
were yes six people who were injured
none of those was a Canadian so that's
the latest from Global Affairs Canada