That no one died in the incident involving a Caribbean Airlines flight in Guyana in the small hours of Saturday morning is cause for celebration. Flying in from Trinidad en route from New York, the plane landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in darkness and heavy rain at 1.30 a.m. It overshot the runway, crashed through the perimeter fence, and snapped in two, coming to a stop before it reached a 200-foot ravine.

Several of these factors could easily have turned the episode into a far worse disaster in which dozens of lives might have been lost.

In the event, of the 157 passengers and six crew members, 35 were injured, five seriously, and most while escaping from the plane after it had come to a stop.

Nevertheless, this is by far the worst accident in the history of Caribbean Airlines and of its predecessor, BWIA, in over half a century.

The incident—and its aftermath—therefore have grave implications for the reputation and the future of the airline, which is not only the national carrier of Trinidad and Tobago, but is also positioning itself to become a major regional carrier, especially through its links with Air Jamaica.

Caribbean Airlines and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago responded to the incident with speed and thoroughness, recognising the seriousness of the situation. The airline issued frequent and regular updates, and CAL's chairman, George Nicholas, and other officials flew to Guyana.

Transport Minister Devant Maharaj also addressed a press conference before flying to Guyana later on Saturday together with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, and other senior government officials.

Two ministers who happened to be in Guyana on government business, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Cadiz, also stepped in, collaborating with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, and, in Mr Cadiz's case, visiting the injured passengers in hospital.

There has naturally been widespread speculation about the cause of the incident, with possible contributory factors named as inadequate runway lighting, human error, the poor weather conditions, or a fault in the aircraft itself.

Mr Nicholas said on Saturday that officials of the US National Transportation Safety Board were already on the way to lead investigations into the incident.

The NTSB will work with the civil aviation authorities of both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, the airline, and Boeing, the manufacturer of the plane.

It is essential that the investigators determine the cause of this incident and that the necessary steps are identified and taken to avoid similar events and to preserve the airline's safety record, and most importantly, the lives of its passengers and crews.