Boeing plane carrying 143 people crashes into river in the US
A Boeing 737 crashed into a river in Florida, USA on May 3. All people on board are safe, while the crew is trying to control fuel on the river's surface.
A Boeing 737 carrying 136 passengers and seven crew members crashed into the St John River near Jacksonville, Florida, after skidding off the runway while landing at Jacksonville Naval Air Station on the evening of May 3. City authorities said the flight departed from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
"The plane did not sink. Everyone survived," the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office tweeted, along with two photos of the Boeing bearing the logo of American airline Miami Air International lying in the water and completely intact.
|
The Boeing 737 remained intact and floating on the water after the incident on the evening of May 3. Photo:Reuters |
Twenty-one injured people were taken to hospital and are in stable condition. Witnesses said the plane landed in stormy weather conditions.
The mayor of Jacksonville said crews were working to contain the jet fuel spill on the water. Naval security personnel and emergency response teams were also deployed to the scene.
Miami Air International operates a fleet of Boeing 737-800s. The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Boeing spokesman said the company was aware of the incident and was gathering information. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation.
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which the United States leases under the 1903 U.S.-Cuba Treaty. It is the oldest U.S. overseas naval base.
The incident comes as Boeing is facing a crisis following the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people, just five months after the Lion Air crash that killed 189 people and involved the 737 MAX 8. The 737 MAX's anti-stall system, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), is suspected to be the cause. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on March 13 ordered a global flight ban for the Boeing 737 MAX.
