STX Runway Reopens After Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing

The Virgin Islands Port Authority reopened the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport runway on St. Croix at 11:38 a.m. Tuesday after an emergency landing caused a temporary closure.

The runway was closed at 8:55 a.m. when Air Flamenco flight number WAF2203 traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico glided to an emergency landing on the HERA runway. The pilot and the one flight crew member reported no injuries, and the cargo plane had no other passengers onboard the short 360 aircraft.

VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe thanked the HERA operations staff, the airport rescue firefighters, and the airport’s federal partners for their quick response to the incident.

"I would like to especially thank the team at Bohlke International Aviation that assisted us with removing the disabled aircraft. Bohlke continues to be one of the tenants that can always be relied on to assist the Port Authority during normal and emergency operations at the airport,” he said. Dowe added that the incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.