Bangkok and Singapore: Boeing Co. said it’s helping in investigations into how a 737-800 plane arriving from Cuba slipped into a river after skidding off a runway near Jacksonville, Florida, in the US.
The chartered flight operated by Miami Air International was carrying 143 people when it left the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday evening, Boeing said in a statement. Authorities said there were no fatalities.
The US National Transportation Safety Board said it’s sending a Go Team to investigate the aircraft that “came to rest on St. Johns River,” according to a Twitter post. Boeing said
it’s providing technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the NTSB.
Statement from @NASJax_ reference the airplane incident in the St. Johns River. pic.twitter.com/DkfMDSavM2
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) May 4, 2019
While it isn’t clear yet what led to the plane ending up in the river, the incident comes as Boeing remains enmeshed in one of the biggest crises in its century-long history.
The plane maker has been on the defensive since its 737 Max planes crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people in a span of five months. The 737 Max plane has been grounded as the company tries to convince airlines and regulators it will be safe once a software update is installed.
The chartered flight in Friday’s crash arrived from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, according to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, in a post on its Facebook page.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit has been called in to assist the Naval Air Station to retrieve the plane, which was not submerged. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said soon after the accident that teams were working to control jet fuel in the water.
#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
Also read: No one knows when 737 Max will take flight again, not even Boeing