All 163 people aboard a Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 survived after the aircraft overran the runway at Cheddi Jagan Airport in Guyana early July 30. The aircraft fuselage broke at about the 10th row of passenger seats ahead of the wing. There was no post-crash fire and the aircraft came to rest near a 200-foot-deep ravine. About 100 people were treated for mostly minor injuries but some remain in hospital with broken bones. Weather at the time (1:32 a.m.) of the accident was reported as calm winds in light rain.
The flight originated in New York and may have stopped in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the home country of the airline, which has an unremarkable safety record and clearly uses newer equipment. The accident does raise some issues about the airport, however. Initial reports suggest there was little in the way of emergency response and pax initially had to fend for themselves.
