The flights run every Friday and every other Tuesday, said Susan Brink, a Navy spokeswoman
Pic/Twitter
Miami: At least 21 people were injured after a Boeing 737 charter jet arriving at a naval air station in Florida from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, slid off the runway into a river, authorities said.
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All of the 136 passengers and seven crew members had been rescued by early Saturday morning, a Navy spokeswoman said. None of the injuries was life-threatening, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Reuters: Boeing 737 goes into Florida river with 136 on board, no fatalities, says Naval Air Station Jacksonville #USA
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2019
The sheriff's office said the plane had never been submerged. Photos showed it floating on the St. Johns River, The New York Times reported.
The accident occurred at about 9.40 p.m. on Friday as the pilot attempted to land the jet at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville amid thunder and heavy rains.
"I think it is a miracle," Capt. Michael P. Connor, the commanding officer at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, said at a news conference early Saturday. "We could be talking about a different story."
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the White House had called to offer its assistance.
The flight was operated by Miami Air International, a charter company that shuttles military service members from the base in Guantanamo Bay to naval air stations in Jacksonville and Norfolk, Virginia.
The flights run every Friday and every other Tuesday, said Susan Brink, a Navy spokeswoman.
Here are some reactions by the Twitterati:
Update from NAS JAX. 136 passengers and 7 crew members were on board the Boeing 737 went it slid off the runway into the river. @FCN2go pic.twitter.com/fpN3Y513DZ
— Heather Crawford (@HeatherFCN) May 4, 2019
#firstalertwx St. Johns River - NAS Jax - Boeing 737 - at about 9:43pm - trying to land during a heavy t'storm ended up in the river @WOKVNews - peak wind gust at surface based on NAS Jax wx obs - 18 mph peak gust from W/SW pic.twitter.com/E9CWMAwToy
— Mike Buresh (@MikeFirstAlert) May 4, 2019
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to start an inquiry. Boeing said it also was investigating but did not provide any other details.
Friday night's accident comes as Boeing has been under intense scrutiny following two deadly crashes of its 737 MAX jet within a few months: Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March of this year.
The two accidents killed a total of 346 people and led to a global grounding of the aircraft.
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