"Plane stuck in new runway tarmac"

Thursday, May 30, 2002

Plane stuck in new runway tarmac
By Fergal Parkinson 
BBC correspondent in Antigua  
United Kingdom - The BBC


A British Airways plane with 140 people on board has become stuck in the
tarmac of a runway in the Caribbean island of Antigua.

The plane, which was flying from London's Gatwick airport to Antigua,
landed on a runway which had just been resurfaced and had not set
properly.

The Boeing 777 was due to carry on to the neighbouring island of St
Lucia and was leaving the runway when its wheels sank into the tarmac.

The captain tried to use the power of the engines to move it but when it
became obvious it was going nowhere, he ordered its evacuation. 

According to an airport spokesman, the runway had earlier in the day
been resurfaced and had not set properly. 

The British Airways plane, he said, was unfortunately the biggest
aircraft to arrive. 

Scores of British tourists have been left stranded on the Caribbean
island. 

'Unfortunate' 

About 140 passengers on a BWIA West Indies Airways flight to Heathrow
and a similar number on the BA jet were delayed by the incident along
with about 400 tourists booked on a Virgin Atlantic flight to Gatwick,
who had gone through check-in and security before the incident occurred.


Bob Bone, of west London, who was booked to fly on the Virgin flight,
said: "The situation is unfortunate."

"The passengers on the BWIA and BA flights are stranded and the airports
have told them it is not their problem." 

British Airways engineers and airport staff are currently trying to work
out how to move the plane as there is nothing large enough on the island
to pull it. 

The airport, the VC Bird International which is near the island's
capital of St John's on the popular holiday destination, has been
closed.

Attached Photo:

Antigua has nothing big enough to pull a Boeing 777

boeing777-300.jpg