Accident: Virgin A333 at St. Lucia on Dec 24th 2013, mud landing on runway

2. Accident: Virgin A333 at St. Lucia on Dec 24th 2013,
mud landing on runway
A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-300, registration G-VNYC
performing flight VS-98 from Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago) to
Saint Lucia (Saint Lucia), was on final approach to Saint Lucia at
about 19:40L (23:40Z) and had just received landing clearance
when river "Petite Riviere Du Vieux Fort" burst its banks and
flooded the airport reportedly washing the weather station away
and setting the runway under mud and water. The aircraft touched
down on the flooded runway without warning and managed to
come to a stop. No injuries occurred, the landing gear however
received substantial damage.
The onward flight to London Gatwick,EN (UK) had to be
cancelled.
Due to the flooding the airport needed to close for the rest of Dec
24th and Dec 25th but pledged to reopen on Dec 26th. The airport
is NOTAMed open on Dec 26th however no jet fuel being
available until Dec 27th, locals report the airport is still closed on
Dec 26th.
The airport's weather station stopped transmitting Metars after Dec
24th 20:26Z and resumed service on Dec 25th at 22:00Z.
Local Media report 8 fatalities and describe catastrophic
devastation all around Saint Lucia as result of the heavy rainfalls
(more than 171mm/6.7 inches of rain in 24 hours), flooding and
landslides on Holy Eve, emergency supplies had to be brought in
from around the Caribbean Island.
Travellers caught at St. Lucia complained about not being able to
depart but also tweeted whether reports of the crash of a Virgin

3. Atlantic Aircraft at Saint Lucia as reported by local media were
true.
The accident aircraft is still on the ground in St. Lucia.
On Dec 26th regular flight VS-89 from London to St. Lucia and
further to St. George's (Grenada) flew directly to Grenada and did
not land in St. Lucia.