Bocas-bound plane loses cargo door

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Bocas-bound plane loses cargo door

Posted 13/03/2022

Bocas Air Company aircraft detached mid-flight to Bocas del Toro, 20 minutes after taking off from the Marcos A. Gelabert airport in Albrook, with eight passengers on board.

The incident did not cause injuries, but the passengers suffered distressing moments reports  La Prensa. The Civil Aeronautics Authority (AAC) confirmed that the aircraft returned to the airport minutes after taking off this Saturday, at 2:57 p.m.

“Once [the plane] has taken off, the rear baggage door opened and several suitcases fell into the void,” reported the AAC.

“The pilots made the incident report. Unofficially, during the rotation, the crew detected the opening of the door; the takeoff was carried out [and] the situation was reported to the [control] tower and they returned to the airport. No affected people were reported,” an AAC source told La Prensa.

Air Safety inspectors are in the hangar where the aircraft is. "We are waiting for the Accident Investigation Office to start the proceedings of an incident of this magnitude," the source explained.

The Bocas Air Company received permission to operate in a quick period of time, according to full credit sources. The sources question the whole process to receive the permits, not to mention that the planes are quite old.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/bocas-bound-plane-loses-cargo-door

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Airline that lost door in mid-flight suspended

Posted 17/03/2022

The Civil Aeronautics Authority (AAC) temporarily suspended operations of the Bocas Air Company after the detachment of the rear door of the baggage compartment of one aircraft in mid-flight with eight passengers on board.

The suspension will be until the investigations are completed, said the AAC.

The investigators of the entity's Air Safety Directorate began investigations of a "regulatory nature as a result of the accident", which occurred on Saturday, March 12, when the aircraft HP1948BT lost the cargo door, 20 minutes after having taken off from the Marcos A. Gelabert airport in Albrook.

The incident did not cause any injuries, but the passengers experienced distressing moments during the maneuvers of the crew.

La Prensa tried to obtain the version of Marvin Matthews, who appeared as president of Bocas Air Company, but he said that two months ago he sold his shares.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/airline-that-lost-door-in-mid-flight-suspended

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Certification of airline  raises questions

Posted 21/06/2022

If something has become clear in the certification of the Bocas Air airline, it is the opacity with which a public issue is handled, including the identity of all its shareholders and the process to obtain the operating certificate for passenger and cargo routes. The opacity leaves potential victims defenseless in case one of them wants to go legally against the main owner of the company. And very worrying is the evident sloppiness in the certification process of this company, riddled with omissions, false data, and obvious violations of aviation regulations. The director of the Civil Aeronautical Authority (AAC) acted with the utmost irresponsibility when last year he personally declared that the company had successfully completed the process to commercially exploit the route. Just weeks after its joyful announcement, the company itself had to temporarily suspend operations, and a few months later, the AAC reported a door detachment on one of the Bocas Air planes. The investigation of the incident resulted in the discovery of further irregularities that lead us to question whether the AAC, its director, and staff can be trusted.- LA PRENSA, Jun. 21.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/certification-of-airline-raises-questions