CHARLOTTE AMALIE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents seized a St. Thomas aircraft on Tuesday suspected of having been used for smuggling events. During an arrest conducted in the fall of 2021, AMO agents working with U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Department […]
Tag: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
London-Bound Jet Returns To Miami Over Maskless Passenger
MIAMI — An American Airlines flight to London returned to Miami after a passenger refused to follow the federal requirement to wear a face mask, according to the airline. The airline called Miami police, and officers escorted a woman off the plane at Miami International Airport Wednesday evening without incident. A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade […]
Air Traffic Control Tower Closed Due To COVID Cleaning Causes Flight Cancellation
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Federal Aviation Administration did a deep cleaning at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas which lead to a flight cancellation this afternoon. The FAA said a staffing shortage related to multiple health and safety factors, including COVID-19, resulted in the temporary closure of the air traffic control tower at […]
Private Facebook Group Removes Reporter After V.I. Free Press Headline About Botany Bay Helicopter Crash
Forgive me if I’m not willing to sanitize Monday’s crash of a private aircraft at Botany Bay in St. Thomas. You see, I survived a private airplane crash at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico in October of 2004 — so I’m a little sensitive to these matters. The private Facebook group “What’s Going On St. Thomas?” […]
4 People Feared Dead After Helicopter Crash Near Botany Bay On St. Thomas Monday: VITEMA Says
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Authorities in St. Thomas were investigating what caused a helicopter crash that killed at least four people at Botany Bay on Monday afternoon. The fatal crash occurred at the western end of St. Thomas in a wooded area of Botany Bay, said Erik Ackerson, emergency management spokesman. He said officials were not […]
U.S. Virgin Islands And Guam Fight In Court For The Right To Vote For President
HAGATNA — Six U.S. citizens living in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam have filed a federal lawsuit challenging federal and state laws that deny them the right to vote for president and voting representation in Congress because they live in certain U.S. territories and in foreign countries. Randy Reeves, an Air Force veteran, is […]
Puerto Rico Governor Asks FAA To Ground Flights From Texas And Florida After Spike In COVID-19 Cases
SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico’s governor announced major rollbacks including the closure of bars, gyms, marinas, theaters and casinos and restricted the use of beaches as the U.S. commonwealth is hit by a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Governor Wanda Vázquez said the changes and an ongoing curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 […]
Sea Flight Aircraft Crashes Into Caribbean Sea Minutes After Takeoff On St. Thomas
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating to see if a faulty engine or pilot error is the reason a Sea Flight commuter plane crash landed just minutes after takeoff from the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas. Sea Flight #394SF with seven passengers and one pilot aboard made an “emergency […]
USVI Airports Pass Muster With Federal Aviation Administration Friday
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The two airports in the territory have passed FAA inspections, the Virgin Islands Port Authority reports. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed its annual inspections of the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas and the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix on Friday. Each airport was “ranked overall satisfactory and within […]
Bryan Updates Traveling Public As FAA Orders Temporary Grounding Of Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. said that he supports the decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of passenger safety. Governor Bryan reassured the traveling public that their safety is of paramount importance, and […]