The flight arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba went into the river at the end of the runway at about 9:40 p.m. local time, the air station said.
(Photo: Twitter | @JSOPIO)
In a scary incident which could have turned disastrous for many, Boeing 737 aircraft carrying around 143 people including seven crew members on board reportedly slid off the runway and fell into the St John’s River near Jacksonville, Florida after landing on Friday, Naval Air Station Jacksonville informed.
At least 21 people have been reportedly injured. However, there were no reports of fatalities.
The plane was not submerged, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office, adding that every person is alive and accounted for.
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The sheriff’s tweet was accompanied by two photographs showing the plane bearing the logo of Miami Air International resting in shallow water and fully intact.
21 adults were transported to local hospitals by the fire and rescue department. It further said that all the people are in good condition and no critical injuries have been reported.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted, “We have a commercial plane down on the river. I’ve been briefed by our Fire and Rescue. They are on the scene”.
“I’ve been briefed that all lives have been accounted for,” he further said.
The flight arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba went into the river at the end of the runway at about 9:40 p.m. local time, the air station said.
An investigation into the mishap is underway, the air station said in a statement.
Statement from @NASJax_ reference the airplane incident in the St. Johns River. pic.twitter.com/DkfMDSavM2
— Jax Sheriff’s Office (@JSOPIO) May 4, 2019
Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was seeking to gather additional information.
The Boeing 737 is an American short- to medium-range twinjet narrow-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The newer version, Boeing 737 MAX series has been involved in a series of accidents – the recent one being the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people.
Last October, another Boeing 737 MAX 8, from the Indonesian low-cost airline Lion Air, crashed into the Java Sea killing 189 people.
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