Authorities in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida say a Boeing 737 skidded off a runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and slid into the Saint Johns River while landing Friday night with 136 passengers on board.
WOKV-TV, a local television station, said the flight was approaching the runway in a heavy thunderstorm when it went into the river at the end of the runway.
#JSO Marine Unit was called to assist @NASJax_ in reference to a commercial airplane in shallow water. The plane was not submerged. Every person is alive and accounted for. pic.twitter.com/4n1Fyu5nTS
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) May 4, 2019
The station said 21 adults were taken to area hospitals, but “all were listed in good condition.”
The Miami International Air flight was a military charter from the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Photographs of the plane showed that the aircraft was not submerged in the water.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said crews were working to contain jet fuel on the water.
Boeing said in a statement: “Boeing extends its well wishes to all those involved as 136 passengers and seven crew were reported on board. Boeing is providing technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as the agency conducts its investigation.”
Airlines around the world have grounded the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets because of two crashes – an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March that killed all 157 people on board and Indonesia’s Lion Air crash in October that killed all 189 people on board.
The Boeing plane in the Jacksonville crash is not the same type that was involved in the two deadly crashes.
Source: VOA
