The Guinean Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the accident that took place on Friday night between a TAP plane and a motorbike on the runway at Guinea-Conakry airport, which killed the two occupants of the vehicle.
“An investigation conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Guinea (AGAC), with the support of the Department of Security and Protection (SOGEAC), is underway to investigate the causes and responsibilities of the parties involved”, reads a note from the airport. International Ahmed Sékou Touré published on the social network Twitter.
According to this message, the accident took place at 23:40 (local time) on Friday, when “the flight TP1492 of the TAP Portugal company, originating in Lisbon, hit two individuals who were riding a motorcycle on the runway”.
“The driver identified was a security agent, an employee of a company in charge of protecting the airport’s facilities”, the text states, expressing “sincere condolences to the bereaved families”.
In a statement released this morning, TAP reported that “flight TP1492 had an accident on landing at Guinea-Conakry airport, when a motorcycle tried to cross the runway at that moment, and the occupant of the vehicle lost his life”.
However, an official company source confirmed to the Lusa agency that there were two fatalities in the accident.
“Passengers and crew are all fine”, he assured, asserting that “all safety procedures were followed, but even so, it was not possible to avoid the aforementioned accident”.
“TAP is naturally collaborating with the local authorities to investigate the circumstances that led to this regrettable situation”, reads the statement from the Portuguese company, which “deeply regrets what happened” and offers “its heartfelt condolences” to the victims’ families.
The news portal Guineenews.org advances that the two security guards who were circulating on the motorcycle “were trying to cross the runway when they were sucked in by one of the engines of the aircraft that had just landed”.
According to him, “the tragedy and the opening of an investigation prevented the Portuguese company from boarding the passengers who were supposed to leave for Lisbon”.
