DC-3 Crashed a Mile From the STT Airport

I'm glad they survived. I remember a similar incident a couple years ago when a plane from PR to STX crashed near Vieques, I think. It was also carrying mail and I don't think the pilot survived in that one.

The Federal Aviation Administration's Age-60 rule states that a pilot may not engage in part 121 operations if the pilot has reached his 60th birthday. Part 121 covers operations of large commercial passenger aircraft, smaller propeller aircraft with 10 or more passenger seats, and common carriage operations of all-cargo aircraft with a payload capacity of 7,500 pounds.

The pilot of the DC-3 that crashed this morning is 72 years of age and the DC-3 he was flying had a payload capacity of 20,000 pounds.

http://www.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=1153540939

I am glad everyone survived, however this will definitely go into my journal of oddities of island living. I am still loving every moment, but certain things strike me as being beyond odd. As some stateside companies do not accept electronic payments, I have had to make arrangements regarding bills that arrive after the due date, or payments that take four weeks to arrive in Florida.

I wonder if anyone knows that the mail situation is something that truly is not working, and if that person is in a position to consider other options. I have had parcel post arrive in two days from Connecticut, and Priority mail take four weeks from the same state.

I wonder in addition if more seasoned islanders have any suggestions on how one might 'goose' a package so it arrrives more quickly.

Again, I know that this is a story of human lives being saved, but the mail component does rather selfishly come to mind in an instant.

Warm regards,

Dan

Interesting....and I almost had them bring over a part from Puerto Rico for work.

danieljude: it's common knowledge that the mail system isn't working as it should and Delegate to Congress Donna Christian-Green recently held town meetings on all three islands to address the problems. Hopefully we'll see some irmprovements one of these days. It often takes 3-4 days for mail sent from one STT post office location to reach one's PO box at another STT location, never mind mainland to VI!

I had some boxes mailed to STT when I moved, and 2 of them were delivered... in an envelope! Or at least what was left of them.

Ahhh....so this is what has happened to my mail!
p.s. anyone know the new phone number to Nisky mailboxes?

Just want to let everyone know that this plane was in fact empty. I dove on the wreck for recovery this weekend and all that was on board was the pilots flight bags. The left engine had failed, and they couldn't get enough altitude. Cool dive site at 90' of water perfectly intact sitting on the ocean floor like it landed there.

Are they going to bring it up, or will it be a dive site?

It was an old tin can of a plane so they are going to keep it a dive site.

Maybe that's why my glasses haven't shown up yet....lol

Island Ed........

I am nervous because I just shipped 5 boxes! Were your boxes insured?

I received a package from STT sent priority mail in 5 days last week. The box was almost in perfect condition and insured, so I am wondering if they take better care of the insured mail??

Thanks.

Pink

Read the fine print. You will have to provide receipts for every item lost in order to make a claim, the items must be identified on a packing list of the lost box, and then your recovery is only to the amount insured. Try to do that for family photos and such. In my experience, insurance is not an assurance for me.

Most of the boxes shipped fine with no damage, but a few didn't make it. I don't know where they were lost, stateside or the VI. "Off the record" a VI postal worker told me that boxes sometime get caught in the conveyor systems (some of which are overhead) at one of the facilities, which tear the boxes open, in which case they just sweep the contents to the side to be discarded. Sometimes they have to hook and tear the box up to get it out of the tangle. If they can get the label, they will forward it in an envelope with a "geez, were sorry" letter. One of my boxes was sent empty inside another box. The original box had a perfect slice along the entire bottom edge where everything fell out. At least I got my box back! None were overweight, but I wonder if heavier boxes have more trouble.

I just received a box (under 2 lbs) sent priority mail from Colorado - It was postmarked 7/5/06 PRIORITY MAIL and I received it 7/27/06. Go figure. When did Donna Christiansen go visit the Customs place that had all that mail in it?

Dear Linda:

Your experience is not uncommon. Remember that Priority Mail is NOT guaranteed. I don't mean to sound snarky but this has been discussed many times in the past on this forum and even in this post. Express Mail IS guaranteed, Priority Mail is not.

Our U.S. Delegate to Congress, Donna Christian-Green was in PR just recently and, as I said in a recent post, also held town meetings on all three islands prior to her excursion to listen to citizen's concerns.

Again, at the risk of sounding snarky, please follow threads and please read a thread before posting. Repetition gets awfully tiresome! Cheers!

After busting my backside all week, in paradise, I come home and deal w/ problems with the house (like bad electric - etc.) that the landlord doesn't want to take care of - and I get online long enough to check my email and glance here for a minute. I ask humbly for forgiveness for not reading threads all the way thru. I will go back to lingering in the background.

I know that priority mail is not guarenteed. I handle all the purchasing for a company here on island - I have been dealing with shipping to STX professionally for a while - it was just an off handed comment. Please pardon my insensitivity to those who do have the brain power to read completely the threads before responding.

Humbly yours,

Linda