Boeing 737 Carrying 143 People Skids From Runway Into Florida River
- Boeing 737 carrying 143 people on board crashed while landing at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station on Friday night.
- 21 people on board reportedly sustained minor injuries in the crash.
- The plane is believed to be not Boeing 737 max that has a bad record of two crashes in the last five months.
- Several airlines grounded the Boeing 737 max after the crashes which killed over 350 people altogether.
The Boeing 737 carrying 143 pa s sengers was flying to Jacksonville from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Friday night, 3d May when it skidded off the runway into the water injuring 20 people on it.
The plane had just arrived at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station when it skidded off the runway and into the St. Johns River at 9:40 p.m., confirmed the air station. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office tweeted the plane didn't submerge due to the "shallow water."
#JSO Marine Unit was called to a s sist @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 Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department confirmed 21 people injured were taken to hospitals. The department tweeted mentioning:
We responded to NAS Jax to a plane incident tonight with a second alarm a s signment of approximately 90 personnel. 21 people were transported to local hospitals.
Later, the Naval Air Station Jacksonville released a statement detailing a full account of the event. The statement read:
At approximately 9:40 p.m. today, a Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into Naval Air Station Jacksonville slid off the runway into the St. Johns River.
The statement further continued,
There were 136 pa s sengers and seven aircrews on board and all have been accounted for. Minor injuries have been reported, treated at the scene, and those requiring additional treatment were transported to a local hospital. There were no fatalities.
The Boeing 737 is not believed to be Boeing 737 Max which has been grounded after the wake of two fatal accidents in just five months. In October 2018, Boeing 737 carrying 189 people on board crashed into the Java sea killing all on the board. Likewise, in March, Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 737 crash killed 149 people on board.
