A FlyMontserrat pilot had to make an emergency landing in Antigua Thursday morning after the aircraft she was flying developed a mechanical issue mid-flight.
According to reports, Captain Jamilla Jeffrey took off from the John A Osborne Airport in Montserrat for the VC Bird International Airport in Antigua around 9:30am with six passengers on board.
During the flight, passengers noticed oil leaking from one of the engines of the Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander aircraft and alerted Jeffrey.
Oil leaking from the engine of a FlyMontserrat Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 aircraft.
“Maybe five to 10 minutes after we took off, we could see the oil coming out of the right side of the engine. After the oil came out, you could see flames. Then all of a sudden you heard the plane idling,” a woman, who was on the flight, told ZJB Radio in Montserrat.
Jeffrey responded and safely guided the plane to Antigua.
There were no reports of injury.
In an interview with ZJB Radio, Captain Nigel Harris, FlyMontserrat’s managing director, commended Jeffrey, who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, for effectively responding to the emergency in accordance with her training.
Pilot Jamilla Jeffrey.
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Video of the incident has been shared on social media showing Jeffrey calmly guiding the plane to Antigua with one operational engine.
She has been praised for remaining calm in the face of what could have been a disastrous situation.
“Captain Jamilla Jeffrey you are a boss! I commend you for handling this situation so expertly. May God continue to guide you on your journeys on land and in the air,” one person wrote on social media.
A woman wrote: “Whoever said women aren’t good drivers should look at how Captain Jeffrey handled this situation. Congratulations my sister on a job well done. Praying that you and the passengers will overcome the fear that I’m sure you are feeling right now.”
