A Cayman Airways Express flight to Cayman Brac returned to Grand Cayman on Thursday morning after the captain declared an emergency as a precaution when an anti-skid system warning appeared on the flight deck during the approach to Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, the airline has confirmed.

Flight KX4003, operated by Saab 340B VP-CBR, departed Owen Roberts International Airport at 07:15, the airline said, and was airborne from runway 08 at about 07:23 according to flight-tracking data. In a public service announcement issued on September 17 in response to questions from The Caymanian Journal (TCJ), Cayman Airways said the captain entered a holding pattern "to complete the required safety checks" and, "based on the indication, determined that use of a longer runway was appropriate as an added precaution for landing."

The aircraft returned to Grand Cayman "in accordance with Cayman Airways' established safety procedures" and "landed safely and without incident" at 08:38, the airline said.

Flight-tracking data reviewed by TCJ, matched against the instrument approach charts published in the Cayman Islands Aeronautical Information Publication, shows the aircraft was on final approach to the Brac's runway 09 at about 1,450 feet and within roughly a mile of the airport when the approach was discontinued at around 07:50. The crew then flew the published missed approach procedure for that runway: a right turn to the TALES waypoint, west of the Brac near Little Cayman, where the aircraft completed a holding pattern at about 1,450 feet before setting course for Grand Cayman at about 08:02, some 12 minutes after the go-around.

On arrival the aircraft overflew Owen Roberts at about 2,700 feet at 08:22 and continued west to MOBIX, the initial approach fix for the runway 08 instrument approach about 10 nautical miles west of the airport, where it held again at about 1,450 feet for some 10 minutes. It then flew the runway 08 approach from the west and landed at 08:38, about 75 minutes after take-off. The scheduled flight time to the Brac is 40 minutes, and the aircraft's previous KX4003 services had taken 27 to 28 minutes in the air. TCJ observed the aircraft in this second hold. Officers of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service temporarily cordoned off part of Crewe Road, which runs past the western end of the runway, until the aircraft was safely on the ground, an officer at the scene confirmed to a TCJ reporter. The airline's statement did not refer to the second holding period.

The airline did not say how many people were on board. TCJ has independently established that there were 20 people on the aircraft, passengers and crew.

TCJ had e-mailed Cayman Airways on September 17 asking whether the crew declared "PAN PAN PAN" or "Mayday," and whether the reason for the return was known. The airline's statement confirmed that an emergency was declared and gave the anti-skid indication as the cause, but did not say which of the two calls the crew used. The transponder code recorded by flight-tracking services remained at the standard 2000 setting throughout the flight, with no 7700 emergency code shown. That is not unusual for an aircraft in direct radio contact with air traffic control, which declares an emergency by voice, and does not bear on whether a declaration was made. Under international radio procedure, "Mayday" signals distress, a condition of grave and imminent danger requiring immediate assistance, while "PAN PAN" signals urgency, a condition concerning the safety of the aircraft or those on board that does not require immediate assistance.

An aircraft's anti-skid system prevents the wheels from locking during braking on landing. When the system is indicating a fault, operating procedures typically require crews to plan for a longer landing distance, which is consistent with the captain's decision to return to Grand Cayman. According to the current Cayman Islands Aeronautical Information Publication, the runway at Owen Roberts is 2,398 metres long, about 7,870 feet, with 2,010 metres of landing distance available in either direction. The runway at Charles Kirkconnell is 1,829 metres, about 6,000 feet, all of which is available for landing.

The aircraft was "temporarily removed from service for inspection," Cayman Airways said. A replacement aircraft departed Grand Cayman for Cayman Brac at 10:30 and landed at 11:14. Under the airline's published timetable, which took effect on September 14, KX4003 is scheduled to depart Grand Cayman at 07:25 and arrive on the Brac at 08:05, meaning passengers reached Cayman Brac a little over three hours late.

"Cayman Airways apologizes for any inconvenience or concern this situation may have caused affected passengers, and commends the captain and crew for their prompt and professional response," the statement said. "The actions taken were consistent with the airline's stringent safety procedures and its unwavering commitment to the safety of its passengers and crew."

TCJ e-mailed the Cayman Islands Airports Authority on September 17 asking about the emergency. The Authority had not responded by the time of publication. This report will be updated if a response is received.

VP-CBR is one of two Saab 340B turboprops registered to Cayman Airways Express on the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands' active aircraft register, the other being VP-CKI. The type operates the airline's inter-island services between Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.