GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing here yesterday with more than 150 passengers on board after a bird was sucked into its engine.

Aviation Minister, Robeson Benn said “the engine sustained critical damage” and up to late yesterday night, engineers were working to repair the aircraft.

A vulture flew into the engine of the outgoing Caribbean Airlines flight forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

The plane landed safely with all 152 passengers and the state-run Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted Benn as saying that steps would be taken to eradicate the birds that sometimes hover at an altitude of 3,000 feet over an area where pig and chicken entrails are disposed.

GINA said the passengers on Caribbean Airlines flight 662 departing the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) enroute to Trinidad with other connections to Toronto, experienced the first noted incident of a bird-strike of a large commercial jet liner.

Benn explained that on take-off and at an altitude of 3,000 feet a bird-strike occurred impacting the left engine of the aircraft.

“Captain Richard Law and co-pilot Michael Abraham made a prudent decision based on the vibrations and sounds coming out of the engine to circle back and return for an emergency landing at the CJIA,” Benn stated.

All the necessary arrangements were in place on the ground for landing and passengers were given needed attention.

The passengers were able to depart Guyana on another Caribbean Airlines flight.

Been said that the authorities would be moving to deal with the dumping of entrails from chicken and pig in the area, noting that “ a great amount of efforts has been expended over the last two years to have some of these operations removed from the vicinity of the airport”.