KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday September 5, 2014, CMC - Jamaican authorities have mobilized emergency resources and have started operations to rescue, recover and investigate the crash of a private plane in waters 14 miles north of the north eastern parish of Portland.
On Friday afternoon, a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) helicopter and a coast guard vessel headed to the location, which according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is being monitored by US air force personnel in the area.
Head of the Civil Aviation Authority in Jamaica, Leroy Lindsay said the authority was alerted to the situation by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) at approximately 12.10 pm local time.
Lindsay said he was then told that “ American air assets were following the aircraft and it was approaching Jamaican air space.”
He said shortly after 12:30 pm , the US officials confirmed that the aircraft had entered Jamaican airspace. Jamaican officials then asked the US fighter jets to enter Jamaica’s airspace to continue monitoring the situation.
The CAA said it advised Emergency Authorities, Defence officials and government sources of the situation and full emergency responses were put into effect.
Transport Minister Dr. Omar Davies confirmed that the government was made aware of the situation and the main concern was to determine how to prevent a catastrophe in populated areas.
The aircraft left Rochester, New York early Friday and was scheduled to land in Naples, Florida. On board were Chief Executive Officer of New York-based Buckingham Properties Laurence Glazer and his wife, Jane. Both are from Rochester, New York.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been trying to make contact with the aircraft since 10 am.
Officials suspect the Glazer’s, succumbed to hypoxia – a lack of oxygen, probably caused by a sudden drop in cabin pressure. “We suspect hypoxia,” said Jennifer Stabnyck, a spokeswoman the North American Air Defence Authority (NORAD).
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Jamaica sends rescue, recovery team to plane crash site
