The preliminary report, detailing among other things results of an analysis of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) conducted overseas, has been forwarded to Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Anthony Xavier.

The CVR, which had been sent to the US National Transportation Safety Board in Washington to be assessed, was returned after completion of this task, Airworthiness Inspector, Clifton Bedaysie, confirmed to Stabroek News when contacted yesterday.

Meanwhile, investigators are examining the engines of the ill-fated aircraft, which came down in a cane field shortly after take-off from the Ogle Aerodrome on Novem-ber 8, 2003, Bedaysie said.

He said that this task was expected to be finished in approximately two weeks, when the GCAA will begin compiling its final report into events that led to the tragic incident.

The British-manufactured aircraft crashed into a cane field shortly after take-off from the city aerodrome, after the pilots encountered difficulties climbing.

Two persons died when the craft crashed. Several others, including the pilot and his co-pilot were injured.

Bedaysie told this newspaper that the GCAA had completed its analysis of the aircraft wreckage and released this to its owners. The wreckage has since been sold to Chandra Salandy who intends to salvage the aluminium pieces for sale overseas.

Questioned about the decision to release the wreckage, Bedaysie said once the GCAA had completed its task the owners should be the ones to take possession of it. "We don't need to keep wreckage that is private property."

He said the GCAA had completed examining the pieces and compiling its report.

He further said that the owners once in possession of the components were free to dispose of the wreckage as and when they saw fit.

Once all reports into various aspects of the functioning of the downed craft have been compiled, these will all form the basis of a final report, which apart from identifying the cause and prevailing conditions at the time of the crash, will make recommendations to avoid a recurrence, Bedaysie said. He reiterated that the overwhelming evidence pointed to engine failure as the likely cause of the November 8 crash.

(Oscar P. Clarke)