Georgetown (Guyana): At least six passengers were injured early on Friday when a Fly Jamaica Boeing 757 aeroplane headed for Toronto made an emergency landing in Guyana after the pilot indicated the plane was experiencing problems with its hydraulic system, officials said.

Fly Jamaica flight OJ256 was in the air for about 20 minutes after taking off from Georgetown, Guyana, when the pilot requested permission to return, Guyana officials said at a news conference.

The plane had 118 passengers, two infants and eight crew members on board. Six passengers suffered nonlife-threatening injuries when the plane landed about 45 minutes after it departed Cheddi Jagan International Airport at about 2am local time, they said.

“We can confirm that flight OJ256 bound for Toronto has returned to Georgetown with a technical problem and has suffered an accident on landing,” Fly Jamaica said in a statement. The airline said it was providing local assistance.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is leading an investigation and the US National Transportation Safety Board, which automatically assists with inquiries under international rules, was notified, officials said. Boeing Co is looking into the incident, a spokesman said.

Last week, Indonesian airliner Lion Air flight JT610, an almost new Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed into the sea soon after taking off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2018