Local Press Report
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft, which remains stuck in mud across a canal near Osmani International Airport in Sylhet will be removed after assessment of damages by the representatives of insurance company concerned.
Sources at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said the insurance company representatives would arrive in Dhaka in a couple of days from London to assess the damages caused to the BG-601 Fokker F-28 aircraft after skidding off the runway on Friday morning. Steps would be taken to rescue the aircraft after the assessment by insurance company representatives.
The CAAB and Biman Bangladesh Airlines have already constituted two separate committees to find out whether the wrong landing by pilot or low visibility due to inclement weather were responsible behind the accident.
Meanwhile, a deadlock situation, created over a comment of State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin, came to end after fruitful talks between the Biman authorities and Bangladesh Airlines Pilot Association (BAPA) yesterday.
Protesting the reported remark of Nasiruddin, the pilots belonging to BAPA decided to refrain from working more than their fixed schedule unless the State Minister withdrew his remark. It is learnt that Mir Nasir told reporters in Chittagong that pilot Shahana was responsible for the F-28 accident. However, the State Minister yesterday denied of making that remark.
Instead, he said in a clarification that "the specific reasons of the accident could only be determined after investigation and an inquiry committee headed by CAAB chairman was formed instantly."
However, the remark that was published in a section of newspapers yesterday, created strong resentment in BAPA. As a result, a deadlock situation was created which continued as many as 10 hours. During the time, almost all the international and domestic flights of Biman were delayed.
In the afternoon, Biman Managing Director held talks with BAPA leaders at the Biman headquarters, where the MD told them that the State Minister withdrew his remark. Later, the BAPA joined the works.
The F-28 aircraft that met accident in Sylhet on Friday, was added to the fleet of Biman on September 30, 1991, skidded 150 off the runway after landing at the airport and stuck in mud of a canal with its nose entering five feet deep into the bank.
Earlier, the F-28 aircraft left Zia International Airport at 08.46am on Friday for Sylhet with 82 passengers, two cabin crews and the First Officer. After the flight took off, the Captain and the First Officer invited former advisor to Caretaker Government and Executive Director of BRAC to sit beside them at the cockpit. Accordingly, Muyeed Chowdhury did so.
But, the Biman officials said none, except the pilot and co-pilot is allowed to sit at the cockpit. "It is being investigated why it had happened," one of the officials said.
Muyeed Chowdhury, also a former secretary to the government, was badly injured in the accident. Immediately after the accident, Civil Aviation Secretary and former acting managing director of Biman Akhtar Hossain Khan and other officials rushed to the Biman head office in the city.
Khan told newsmen that the aircraft took off from Dhaka as usual. There was inclement weather, including rains when it reached the Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. "As a result, there was low visibility and we have learnt in our preliminary investigation that the low visibility was the reason behind the accident," he said.
The Civil Aviation Secretary said those who were responsible to look into the technical matters, they had already gone to Sylhet. "They will carry out necessary investigation. It's time consuming."
He, however, said Biman still has four F-28s in its fleet. "We hope that Biman would be able to maintain its flight schedule and provide services to passengers."
The Biman authorities said yesterday that the aircraft was unlikely to be able to fly soon although all of its passengers on board miraculously survived.
Though the aircraft is insured, the Biman authorities, however, could not tell how much money would require to repair it. They said losses due to the damages would be very high.
There are five F-28s in the Biman's fleet. These aircraft, including the one that met accident in Sylhet on Friday, were bought in 1981. Since these aircraft have become older and do not have the capability to fly at high altitude, these are operated by Biman on regional and domestic routes. In regional routes, the F-28s are operated on Kolkata, Kathmandu and Bangkok.
With the accident on Friday, the F-28 aircraft have so far met accident twice. In 1998, the pilot of a F-28 aircraft fell into a canal in Sylhet. Miraculously, none was killed in that accident.
© Copyright 2003 by The New Nation
It's ALL politics this part of the world chaps. Loose tongue costs jobs (to steal a line from WWII and adapt it for life here).