The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) has taken note of statements made by Captain Errol Stewart of the Caribbean Aviation Training Centre (CATC), carried in a Jamaica Gleaner Article published on April 8, 2019. Within the article, Captain Stewart challenges several of the conclusions of the Accident report on the fatal November 2016 crash.
The JCAA would like to take the opportunity to address some of the statements made by Captain Stewart, particularly his claims that:
1. The JCAA was conflicted since it was effectively investigating itself;
In this regard, the JCAA notes that all investigations carried out were according to international standards. The Investigator-In-Charge was appointed in accordance with the Civil Aviation Act and acted independently of the JCAA. The Investigation was conducted jointly with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States. The NTSB is an accredited party to the Investigation as the aircraft was manufactured and registered in the United States. The aircraft engine manufacturer, Lycoming, and the aircraft manufacturer Cessna, were technical advisors to the NTSB. It is therefore disingenuous to suggest that the JCAA was investigating itself given the participation of the aforementioned third parties.
2. The ring gear pictured in the report did not belong to the crashed Cessna as it was painted red, which indicates falsification of the component being referred to;
Regarding the matter of the ring gear image, the photo appearing in the official report is that of the engine manufacturer Lycoming’s reference Starter Ring Gear, not the actual part taken from the aircraft. The engine manufacturer attached the reference Starter Ring Gear to the engine crankshaft during the investigations to determine measurements and specifications. From the measurements, it was determined by the engine manufacturer that the engine’s internal timing was incorrect.
3. The CATC could not have created a forged work order for an engine that was not on the aircraft.
In response to Captain Stewart’s statements about the work order, the JCAA notes that during the investigations, the Investigator requested on numerous occasions for the operator (CATC) to provide an Authorised Release Certificate or a copy of the Work Order relating to work carried out to overhaul the aircraft engine. The documentation was however not forthcoming. As such, the Investigator, through the NTSB, then sought to procure the work order from the Engine Repair Facility which was identified in the engine logbook. The named engine repair facility was contacted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the engine repair facility responded they had never worked on that engine, rendering the engine overhaul documentation fraudulent.
4. An eight-page Rebuttal was submitted to the JCAA in October 2018 challenging some of the Findings and this was never included in the Final Report
The JCAA has no record and did not receive the Rebuttal document in October 2018 as stated by Captain Stewart. However, the JCAA received the referenced document on February 19, 2019. At which time, the
referenced document was reviewed by the Accident Investigator and it was determined that the concerns raised by Captain Stewart in the Rebuttal Document were not material and therefore would not give cause to adjust the Findings and Conclusions of the Final Accident Report.
It is noted that in the Final Report there were some recommendations for the JCAA. We acknowledge these, have assessed them and have begun implementing the recommendations. We will continue to proactively implement processes and procedures to strengthen the safety of our aviation industry.
The JCAA believes that the publishing of this Final Accident Report provides an opportunity for all named parties to review their policies and procedures and make the changes necessary to ensure that a tragedy of this nature never reoccurs. We remain wholly committed to our role as the regulating authority for Jamaican aviation and will continue working assiduously, in conjunction with our partners, to maintain high standards of safety in the Jamaican aviation industry.