Praise for CAL pilot, crew after emergency landing

The Caribbean Airlines (CAL) pilot and crew onboard the plane that made an emergency landing in Trinidad on the night of January 27, en route from Tobago, have received high praise for keeping passengers calm and collected despite the harrowing announcement that there was a problem with one of the engines.

A passenger, who spoke with Newsday, said she considered the landing as one of the smoothest she had ever experienced, while two business chambers in Tobago also commended the CAL workers.

The emergency landing was declared for flight BW 1541, and a statement from CAL on the night of January 27 confirmed that ATR 72-600 aircraft landed safely at Piarco International Airport.

The statement added that all the required operational procedures regarding passengers and crew were being followed. It also said the aircraft would be taken out of rotation for inspection.

On January 28, one of the passengers, Tynielle Jack, described the landing as one of the smoothest she had ever experienced. "I give credit to the pilot for how he was able to navigate, as well as the crew," she said. She believes the crew's calm demeanor also helped keep the passengers from panicking.

She added, "For the most part, they handled it well."

She recalled that the flight had left Tobago around 9.30 pm, and the pilot announced an estimated flight time of 22 minutes. "It started as a normal flight," she said. "Other passengers mentioned hearing a noise, but I did not."

Jack frequently travels between the two islands as she is from Tobago but now lives in east Trinidad.

She recalled noticing that the plane was flying lower than usual. At the time, she was trying to figure out why but decided to "trust the process." The pilot then instructed passengers to prepare for an emergency landing and to "brace."

Jack told Newsday that she turned to the passenger seated beside her and asked, "Did you hear that?"

She also checked in with a friend seated further back. She recalled that despite the announcement, passengers did not cry out in panic. She began looking around, trying to gauge the reaction of others.

"There was none. Some were sleeping and others were doing whatever. It was until, about a minute later, the crew started going back and forth, telling passengers to brace. They did that for a while," Jack explained.

"That is when I realised that something had to be wrong. But there was nothing to show that something was wrong. There was no turbulence. The sky was clear."

She remembered the wheel incident from January 22, when one of CAL's planes lost two nose wheels after landing at ANR Robinson International Airport. At that moment, she began thinking about her family and the possibility of a crash, injuries and even death.

When Jack looked out the window, she said she saw emergency service vehicles approaching the plane on the tarmac in Piarco.

Only after the plane landed were passengers informed of the engine problem. Jack said she disembarked around 10.50 pm.

RELIEF IN TOBAGO

Curtis Williams, president of the Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, described the incident as unfortunate and expressed relief that no injuries were reported.

"Thank God nothing went wrong in terms of injuries," he said.

He praised the captain, crew, and by extension, CAL, for handling it professionally.

He highlighted that the plane is a machine and man-made, and that it was not the first time CAL has had to make an emergency landing.

Alpha Lorde, president of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, echoed similar sentiments, adding that he had limited information.

"I am thankful that the officers in charge of the flight in question had the tenacity and competencies to bring the flight home safely. Kudos to them and all the people instrumental in the safe landing," Lorde said.

"I also hope that a thorough investigation of whatever the challenge was as well as the overall response to ensure that the safe commuting of the general public remains spotless."

Martin George, president of the Tobago Business Chamber, praised CAL's "impeccable" safety track record but urged the airline to investigate this and the recent incident involving the missing wheel.

"We are confident CAL can deal with it," George said.

"We are sure that from the CEO to the groundsmen, the engineers and personnel dealing with the issues would want to keep this impeccable service record intact. We urge them to keep being vigilant and diligent and monitoring their processes, practices and procedures to ensure safety first.

George also praised CAL for its improved service between Trinidad and Tobago, especially during peak periods such as Christmas and Carnival as well as its international business class service.

'IT'S A SERIOUS MATTER'

Retired director general of the TT Civil Aviation Authority, Ramesh Lutchmedial, said the declaration of a full emergency by a pilot is a very serious matter.

He cited the recent South Korea fatal air crash in which preliminary investigations found the DNA of birds in the engines.

"This shows that these things have to be taken seriously," he told Newsday.

He said the investigations into the CAL incident would show why it happened and determine its root cause. He added that the process would involve recommendations to prevent reoccurrence.

Timothy Bailey, industrial relations consultant of the TT Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA), told Newsday the association was deeply concerned by the two recent incidents involving CAL aircraft.

He charged that over the last decade, the association had raised multiple safety concerns with CAL over the ATR aircraft.

"Although it would be premature to comment on what caused the incident as an investigation is ongoing, we note that in recent months, similar CAL aircrafts have had multiple safety-related near misses," Bailey said via WhatsApp.

"TTALPA, its chairman and council are committed to urgently meeting with CAL and all concerned stakeholders to avoid any future reoccurrence of this incident as the safety and comfort of the traveling public, our members and staff is its utmost priority."

Investigations are ongoing.
(Additional reporting by COREY CONNELLY)

Editor's Note: This is an update to an earlier story published online by Newsday and which can be read below:

A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) plane has made an emergency landing in Trinidad on the night of January 27, en route from Tobago.

There were no reports of injuries.

A statement from CAL around 11 pm said the emergency landing was declared for flight BW 1541.

“The ATR 72-600 aircraft landed safely at Piarco International Airport and all the required operational procedures are being followed regarding passengers and crew. The aircraft will be taken out of rotation to facilitate inspection,” the statement said.

CAL did not provide further information.

Voices from footage circulating on social media, purporting to be from a passenger, can be heard repeatedly saying, “Brace, brace, brace.”

Investigations are ongoing.