Dhaka – A cargo aircraft of private True Air crashed while taking off with cargo from Cox’s Bazaar Airport at about half past 9 on Wednesday morning killing at least three crew member and injuring at least another, according to reports reaching Dhaka.
Informed sources told GreenWatch Dhaka that the AN 26 aircraft failed to take off that was attempted reportely before gaining adequate speed because the 6800 feet runway was not sufficient for it to attain the required speed with the amount of cargo that it was laden with. The aircraft fell under its weight in the Bay, the reports say.
The aircraft was bound for Jessore Airport. The crew members were Russians. A high Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official confirmed the crash but said they had appointed an inquiry committee to determine its cause. Before inquiry it would not be proper to speculate on the cause of the accident, he said adding that the inquiry committee was on its way to the spot of the accident.
Asked about an allegation that the private airlines plying on the route bothered little about observing civil aviation law and rules, the high CAA official said if the airlines do not observe CAA rules they cannot fly on Bangladesh’s air.
About a question about lack of checking and sanning of cargo that are directly loaded or unloaded at the Cox’s Bazaar and Jessore airports by driving trucks straight into their arena, the high CAA official said they had received no such complaint so far. If such a complaint was lodged they would definitely look into the matter and take action.
Informed sources say the Cox’s Bazaar-Jessore route has developed as a profitable cargo route mainly for export-oriented frozen fishes. The four private airlines having operations on the route – Bismillah Airlines, Easy Fly, True Air and Sky Capital Airlines are operated by and large free of control.
More such incidents of aircraft failing to take-off for over-loading, or flying with faulty navigational equipment puting the life of their crew and the safety of the aircraft in danger have taken place in the recent past, but not all those have been reported to the CAA head office in Dhaka.
Most of the time the tendency has been to somehow manage the fights caring little about the safety of the cargo the aircraft and their crew members. The crew members most often have little choice but to take flights risking life just to remain in job as CAA eyes do not see the flagrant violation of flight safety norms and rules. It has been alleged that the regulator does not routinely subject the aircraft in service to fitness or flight-worthyness tests.
The Dhaka-based CAA high official told GreenWatch Dhaka that after the inquiry that has been instituted following Wednesday’s accident they would be in a better position to deal with such violations if found. – Staff Reporter
