Call it ‘the Miracle in Jacksonville’.
A chartered Boeing 737-8000 skidded off the runway and slid into the St. Johns River late Friday after landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
Amazingly, there were not fatalities. Boeing – already struggling with the mass-groundings of its 737 MAX 8s – and the NTSB have launched investigations into the incident, Bloomberg reports.
The NTSB said it’s sending one of its ‘Go Teams’ to investigate the incident, and Boeing and the Navy said they would provide technical support if possible. The NTSB team is expected to arrive around noon on Saturday.
The NTSB is sending a Go Team to investigate Miami Air International flight 293, a Boeing 737-800, which departed runway and came to rest in St. Johns River, Jacksonville, Florida (no reported fatalities).
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) May 4, 2019
***Plane incident update***
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…. https://t.co/7a3gMnJgtK— NAS Jacksonville (@NASJax_) May 4, 2019
Boeing extended its well wishes to everybody on board and asked the press to direct all questions to the NTSB.
Boeing, the manufacturer of the 737-800 that skidded off the runway at NAS Jacksonville, is providing assistance to the NTSB. pic.twitter.com/MX6hKm9E6g
— Florida Times-Union (@jaxdotcom) May 4, 2019
It appears the plane was transporting military personnel; it had arrived at Naval Station Air Jacksonville from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Statement from @NASJax_ reference the airplane incident in the St. Johns River. pic.twitter.com/DkfMDSavM2
— Jax Sheriff’s Office (@JSOPIO) May 4, 2019
Though it isn’t clear what caused the plane to slide off the runway and into the river, the incident is bound to heap additional scrutiny on Boeing, which is already enmeshed in one of the biggest crises in its more than century-long existence. Officials have speculated that a brief but torrential rainstorm led to the conditions.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit has been called in to assist the Naval Air Station with pulling the plane out of the river, which should be an easier task seeing as the plane was not submerged.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said teams have been working to clean up fuel that leaked into the river. President Trump also called to offer the White House’s help as the situation was ‘developing’.
We have a commercial plane down on the river. I’ve been briefed by our Fire and Rescue. They are on the scene. While they work please pray.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
2. This is a developing situation. I’ve been briefed that all lives have been accounted for.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
3. Teams working to control jet fuel in the water.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
4. All alive and accounted for. Our Fire and Rescue teams are family to all. @JFRDJAX @jaff122
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
5. We are all 1 family. 1 people. 1 City.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
6. @realDonaldTrump White House called to help as the situation was developing.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
7. No fatalities reported. We are all in this together. Absorb that.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) May 4, 2019
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via ZeroHedge News http://bit.ly/2IZ5Y3a Tyler Durden