The removal and flying out of an impounded single-engine aircraft from the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport, is the subject of investigations by authorities in Anguilla, and in St. Croix where it was tracked and landed and possibly by Civil Aviation officials.
Anguilla’s Minister of Communications, Mr. Curtis Richardson, said at the Government’s press conference on Tuesday, February 14, that he had called a meeting of the Anguilla Air and Sea Port Authority (AASPA) to inquire into the incident which occurred before daybreak, on Sunday morning, February 12.
“The information that was shared with me is that in June 2016, two aircraft left Guyana and stopped in Anguilla for refuelling and then to go on to another destination. One them took off and the due diligence on the papers, they brought from Guyana, revealed that the aircraft that did not take off had some challenges with its certificates. It was therefore held. We went through the process with the Attorney General’s Chambers and the aircraft was impounded. Several attempts have been made since that occasion where persons have come back to AASPA with documentation suggesting that it was their aircraft and should be released. But on both occasions AASPA was not satisfied that those documents were authentic and that the aircraft could be released.
“That was up until sometime in December, and it was the last effort made by persons to have the aircraft released to them. From what we know about this incident, it appears that someone used some sort of support to get over the fence and took the aircraft.”
The Minister said that upon hearing the aircraft fly out, security personnel responded immediately. “It is a very small aircraft and where it was parked it did not take much time to get onto the runway…They went westbound and took off.” According to him, the appropriate civil aviation officials were contacted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and were able to locate the aircraft in St. Croix where the pilot was arrested. The aircraft left Anguilla around 4.00 am and was located in St. Croix around 6.00 am – a flight that should have taken 40-50 minutes.
A press release issued on Monday, February 13, by the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority, said the unknown intruder(s) had breached the airport’s security perimeter.
The release continued: “The aircraft was started and took off without authorisation and did not display any navigational lights. The airport was closed at the time and no runway lights were available. The appropriate authorities were alerted and the aircraft was tracked to St. Croix in the United States (US) Virgin Islands where US authorities took charge and detained whoever was on board.
“The aircraft itself, which displayed a Guyanese registration code, was also impounded for false documentation. The incident is now being investigated by the Anguilla Police Force with the aid of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority. Several civil and aviation laws have been violated.
“The Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority had been in the process of beefing up the overnight security at the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport. This had included the hiring of more security staff who were scheduled to start within days, and the installation of new Terminal Ramp lighting which had already started.
“This incident has shown that the Airport Authority was on the right track with heightened security measures. This occurrence will not affect the Aerodrome’s Operating Certificate, but will, in fact, bolster the Clayton J. Lloyd’s International Airport’s reputation – with the aviation regulator – due to its prompt and decisive action taken to ensure a similar breach cannot happen again.”
