Fly Jamaica flight OJ256 overruns runway at Georgetown Airport

Video screenshot: © Gordon Moseley

A Fly Jamaica flight from Georgetown, Guyana to Toronto made an emergency landing on Friday. After encountering hydraulical problems, the pilots decided to return to Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport approximately 45 minutes after takeoff. The Boeing 757-200, registered as N524AT, overran the end of the runway and crossed through the airport perimeter fence.

During a press conference, it was announced that there were 120 passengers (including 82 Canadian citizens) and eight crew members on board. They were safely evacuated after landing. At least six passengers suffered injuries and were taken to a hospital.

We can confirm that Fly Jamaica flight OJ256 bound for Toronto returned to Georgetown with a technical problem and has suffered an accident on landing. At this time, we believe that all 118 passengers and 8 crew members are safe.Fly Jamaica Airways
Update as of November 17th, 2018:
Fly Jamaica has confirmed that a female Canadian passenger on board flight 256 has died in hospital on Friday.
An investigation by the airline is going on to find out if and how the death was related to the accident. The 86 year-old woman did not go to hospital immediately after the flight’s failed landing, despite having suffered head injuries.

Georgetown’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport is currently undergoing a modernization and expansion. However, the extended runway has not been open yet and was not available for the emergency landing.

Fly Jamaica is an airline headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica and commenced operations in 2013. The airline’s fleet consists of one Boeing 757-200 and one 767-300 aircraft.

A further investigation is undergoing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States has been informed as well. There were reportedly several US citizens on board.

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