Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

An AirPak Express cargo plane crashed in the Montego Freeport area yesterday after it reportedly developed mechanical difficulties, the police say.

Corporal Peter Salkey, Constabulary Communication Network liaison officer for St. James, stated that the two-passenger Cessna plane - registered 6YJHO - went down about 5:05p.m., next door to The Lagoons and Sunset Beach Resort and Spa.

Airlifted to hospital

Its occupants, the pilot and a female passenger, said to be of Chinese descent, were airlifted to hospital by a Jamaica Defence Force helicopter.

The nose of the aircraft, which left Negril at 4:45 p.m. destined for the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, was damaged.

The first person at the scene was taxi operator Lloyd 'Big Dread' Wilson, who said he realised that something was wrong when he "heard a sound in the air".

Crash-landed

According to him, the aircraft was sputtering and circled the area before the pilot crash-landed in the open lot.

"I rushed over to the aircraft and saw that the pilot was OK and asked if there were any other passengers in the plane," Mr. Wilson told The Gleaner. "He pointed to the female passenger, who had just come out of the airplane, and (who) complained of chest pains."

AirPak Express staff, who were quick on the scene, reportedly removed the cargo that was inside the plane.