Cayman Airways pilots commended for safe emergency landing

Cayman Airways officials are commending Captain Steven Coe and First Officer Kel Thompson for their swift and precise handling of the emergency experienced on Thursday September 14, 2017 when Cayman Airways’ Tampa flight KX200, operated by VP-CNG, had to return to Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) shortly after its 11:50am takeoff.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced abnormal engine parameters, accompanied by vibration, on the right-hand engine while climbing through 5,000 feet. The situation required the pilots to quickly complete several required safety checks inflight, which resulted in the engine having to be shut down and an emergency declared for a landing with an inoperative engine at ORIA.

Cayman Airways President and CEO, Mr. Fabian Whorms, said the crew remained in complete control of the aircraft and situation at all times, and the aircraft landed safely at 12:20pm without further incident.  There were 128 passengers on board.

“While our pilots are highly trained and well prepared to handle any situation in flight, we highly commend Captain Coe and the rest of the crew for their precise execution of the prescribed procedures in this instance,” Mr. Whorms said. “All multi-engine aircraft are certified to operate all phases of flight with one engine inoperative, including takeoff and landing, provided a specific set of operating procedures are followed.  All Cayman Airways pilots are extremely competent at performing these procedures and, in this instance, Captain Coe and First Officer Thompson performed with the highest level of precision possible, resulting in a very safe and uneventful landing.”   

“As always, we at Cayman Airways place safety as our highest priority and we are thankful for the patience and understanding of our passengers,” Mr. Whorms added. “We know that the onboard experience during this event was unsettling for our passengers and we apologize for any discomfort experienced.  We can, however, assure everyone that the flight crew maintained a safe operating environment throughout the flight.”

Mr. Whorms said the aircraft has been removed from service for repairs and another Cayman Airways aircraft and crew operated a delayed flight KX200 to Tampa, which departed at 3:03pm (EST) and arrived at 5:51pm (EDT).  No other flights were delayed.