[ad_1]
(CNS): A Cayman Airways Twin Otter aircraft was hit by a bird this morning while taking off from Little Cayman en route to Cayman Brac, but the strike was not discovered until the aircraft landed safely, the company said. The twin-engine turboprop aircraft is part of the Cayman Airways Express fleet and is used to fly to the smallest islands because they can easily handle the short runway at Edward Bodden Airport.
The airport is close to Booby Pond, which is famous for its wildlife, especially the large population of red-footed boobies. This has been one of the reasons for building a new airport elsewhere on the island. A fully certified airport will also allow Cayman Airways to fly small jets between the three islands.
However, the most common type of bird strike is ingestion, where a bird is sucked into a jet engine, damaging the engine’s compressor blades and causing engine failure.
A news release from the airline said that at approximately 7:50 this morning, August 16, Cayman Airways Express flight KX4420 was en route from Little Cayman to Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA) on Cayman Brac when it experienced a bird strike.
The incident was not detected during the flight and the aircraft landed normally at CKIA. However, the press release stated that while the pilot was on the ground awaiting his next flight, while conducting a standard pre-flight safety check, he confirmed that there was a bird strike on one of the aircraft’s wings.
The aircraft has been temporarily removed from service pending the arrival of a maintenance team from Grand Cayman. As a result, passengers travelling to and from the Sister Islands may experience some delays today.
[ad_2]
Source link
