Director General of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Darby (second right), responds to questions from journalists Wednesday, at a press conference at Jamaica House, regarding an incident involving an American Airlines aircraft at the Norman Manley International Airport, on December 22. Listening keenly (from left) are: Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Daryl Vaz; Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Henry; and Chairman of the CAA, YP Seaton - JIS photo

The aircraft, carrying 148 persons, plus a crew of six, from Miami, presumably overshot the runway of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, ending up on the beach across the road from the airport. There were no fatalities.

Director of Flight Safety at the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, Nari Williams-Singh, and his team from the Authority are leading the investigations, assisted by the six-member team from the United States. Seven representatives from American Airlines have also arrived in the island from Puerto Rico, to assist with dismantling of the aircraft.

At a press conference, held at Jamaica House, on Wednesday, Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Henry, said the flight data recorder has been recovered, but that the voice recorder has not yet been retrieved.

“My understanding is that it is in the cargo hold; you can’t really go in and begin to disturb things, because if you do that, you may very well be contaminating what is required in evidence,” Henry said, adding that drug tests have also been done on the crew members.

Director General of the Authority, Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Darby, who was also at the press conference, said it was not possible to give a preliminary report on the cause of the incident, until all the necessary checks are done.

“We do not make speculations in matters of this nature. We speak only to facts and until we analyse the flight data recorder, we would not want to speculate as to the cause of the occurrence,” he said.

Darby described the position in which the aeroplane landed as a “Christmas miracle,” noting that “had the aircraft been just a little faster, it would have ended in the sea and were it just a little slow, it would have ended on the road, both options of which would have been quite catastrophic.”

Meanwhile, the Transport Minister has reiterated that emergency response at the site went according to plan. He said emergency personnel, including ambulance and a fire truck were on the scene within three minutes, which is less than the four-minute world standard. He also explained that in addition to persons being transported to hospitals, medical stations were also set up on the grounds of the airport.