VIEQUES AIR LINK

Contents

Airline Information

Code Data

History

Fleet

Accidents

External Links

Airline Information

'Vieques Air Link' (VAL) is a small but popular Puerto Rican airline company that, just as its name says, links Vieques with Culebra and mainland Puerto Rico.

Code Data

★ ICAO Code: 'VES'

★ Callsign: Vieques

History

It started out on 1965, with owner Osvaldo Gonzalez piloting a plane with 3 passengers from Vieques to Humacao. A Cherokee plane and another airplane were also acquired later, allowing the young airline to serve Isla Verde International Airport.
1968 saw Vieques Air Link become sort of an international airline, adding a flight to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. (The Virgin Islands are only technically an international destination, because, like Puerto Rico, they are half independent from the United States.)
1980 saw the building of Fajardo airport and Vieques Air Link started flights to the new airport immediately. The 1980s were flourishing times for the small company and the frequency of flights to San Juan, Humacao and Culebra grew considerably. In 1989, Vieques Air Link lost its whole fleet to Hurricane Hugo. However, 7 Islander and 3 Trilander planes would rise again to the skies soon after and keep Vieques Air Link's name high up in the air.
The 1990s saw VAL get into financial trouble, but ironically, what was a problem for some, was a blessing for another. With the Vieques conflict, more and more Puerto Ricans began flying Vieques Air Link every day to go to military camps to protest, and the police also had to fly their personnel and the people arrested in those areas on VAL planes at various times. Others, like political leaders Ruben Berrios and Fernando Martin, and the 2002 Miss Puerto Rico, who hails from Vieques, have had pictures taken by the press aboard VAL planes while flying to Vieques, giving the airline a new wave of unpaid-for promotional attention.

Fleet

Their fleet now boasts the type Cessna Caravan, a single engine turbo prop capable of short runway and rugged operations.
The Air Charter Guide lists the following aircraft in the Vieques Air Link fleet:

★ 5 - Britten-Norman Islander

★ 2 - Britten-Norman Trislander

Accidents

★ Dec 21, 1971 an Islander, N589JA with 1 crew and 7 passengers was written off when it crashed at Culebra airport. Upon landing, The aircraft bounced on landing. The pilot initiated a go-around over hills. The airplane was unable to clear a house and crashed.

★ Dec 19, 1977 an Islander, N862JA crashed enroute from St. Croix to Vieques when both engines flamed out due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was ditched off Vieques. There were 9 passengers and a pilot on board. Five were killed and the aircraft was written off.

★ on Aug 2, 1994 ship N589SA an Islander crashed on initial climb out of Vieques enroute to St. Croix. The Islander was overloaded by 600-700 pounds when it departed Vieques. Also, it's centre of gravity was up to 5 inches behind the aft limit. After takeoff the left engine lost power. It lost altitude, banked abruptly to the left, nosed down and crashed into the ocean. It appeared that the fuel had been contaminated with water. On board were the pilot and 8 passengers, all were killed.

★ On Sep 21, 1989 the following Islanders were damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Hugo.
---ship N112JC
---ship N290VL
---ship N457SA

★ On Nov 19, 1999 ship N907VL an Islander was damaged beyond repair at Anguilla Wallblake Airport by Hurricane Lenni.

External Links

★ Vieques Air Link

★ Air Charter Guide

★ Aviation-Safety Net