Investigation Summary
Flight 523 was a scheduled passenger service from New York to Georgetown with a stopover in Port of Spain. During the final approach to runway 06 at Georgetown, the crew encountered light rain and deviated slightly to avoid thunderstorm cells. Although the captain expressed doubts about the landing before crossing the threshold and even made a go-around call, he did not follow through with the maneuver. The aircraft floated significantly, touching down 4,700 feet beyond the threshold of the 7,448-foot runway. With only 2,700 feet of pavement remaining, the crew failed to apply maximum braking until the aircraft was nearly at the end of the runway. The Boeing 737 overran the paved surface, crashed through a perimeter fence, went down a slope, crossed a road, and came to rest where the fuselage fractured behind the wings. Survivors noted a significant delay in the arrival of emergency services, which took approximately two hours to reach the crash site, though this delay did not result in any fatalities.
Final Conclusions
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) concluded that the primary cause was pilot error. The captain maintained excess power during the flare, causing the aircraft to touch down far beyond the designated zone. Furthermore, the crew failed to utilize the aircraft's full deceleration capability upon touchdown. Contributory factors included the crew's indecision regarding a go-around, their failure to execute one after the aircraft floated, and diminished situational awareness. The final report (GCAA: 2/5/1/63) was completed approximately three years after the accident.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
52 years old; 25 years with the airline.
First Officer
23 years old; 3 years with the airline.
Systems & Failure Modes
Thrust Reversers
The investigation found that thrust reversers were only partially deployed after touchdown, limiting the aircraft's deceleration.
Ground Spoilers
The ground spoilers did extend correctly upon touchdown to dump lift and assist braking.
Braking System
The crew failed to apply maximum braking pressure (3000psi) until the aircraft was 250 feet from the end of the runway, which was 450 feet from the end of the paved area.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft touched down with only 2,700 feet of runway remaining.
- 02Maximum brake pressure of 3000psi was not achieved until the aircraft was 250 feet from the end of the runway (450 feet from the end of the paved area).
- 03The captain had only two-and-a-half hours of sleep prior to the flight due to an all-day meeting.
- 04The accident was the ninth hull loss of a Boeing 737-800.
- 05One passenger was reportedly charged $20 by a taxi driver to be driven from the crash site to the terminal.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Reassignment
Following the investigation, Captain Fareed Dean remained with the airline but was demoted to the rank of First Officer.