Second aircraft accident in 10 days

THE Airport Authority of TT (AA) has launched a full scale investigation into an accident on Saturday night involving a Continental Airlines aircraft and a ServisAir Limited tarmac vehicle that grounded the airplane... the second such accident in ten days. No one was injured in the incident. The Civil Aviation Authority will also be conducting its own investigations. On Saturday at 10.30 pm Continental Airlines flight 1878 was parked on the apron for takeoff yesterday morning bound for New Jersey when a ground  service vehicle transporting a conveyer belt slammed into the fuselage on the right side causing a twelve by twelve inches dent.

As a result of this the aircraft, due to leave at 8.30 am yesterday, had to be replaced by another aircraft which was flown in from Texas. It eventually left at around 2.30 pm with 107 persons on board. Ten days ago, on June 11 a similar incident happened involving a BWIA aircraft which was damaged by a water truck. Sources told Newsday that there were two other similar accidents earlier this year. All the ground vehicles at the airport belong to ServisAir Limited. According to Operations Manager, Corporate Communications Ser-vices, Airport Authority,  Ellen Lewis Adamson: “Following the accident last night the AA has begun an extensive complete audit into the process, systems and policies governing the ramp and apron operations at the Piarco International Airport.”

Lewis, however, claimed she has no knowledge of the earlier incidents mentioned, since she was not employed there at the time. Continental Airlines began operating in TT one year ago. When contacted officials of the airline service said they had no comment to make at this time. Sources however confirmed Piarco police have been called into the investigations. Several efforts to contact officials of the Civil Aviation Authority were futile. The aircraft will remain grounded until it is repaired. Constable Quashie of the Piarco Police Station has been detailed to  investigate.