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Plane with 143 aboard crashes into Florida river, no deaths

The Boeing 737 was about to land at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, with 136 passengers and 7 aircrew

In this photo released by the Jacksonville sheriff's office, authorities work at the scene of a plane in the water in Jacksonville, Florida on May 3. AP

AP
Florida | Published 04.05.19, 05:08 AM

A charter plane carrying 143 people and traveling from Cuba to north Florida ended up in a river at the end of a runway on Friday night. No critical injuries or deaths were reported, officials said.

The Boeing 737 arriving at Naval Air Station Jacksonville from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with 136 passengers and seven aircrew slid off the runway into the St. Johns River, a NAS Jacksonville news release said.

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The Jacksonville sheriff's office posted on Twitter that a marine unit responded. The plane was in shallow water and not submerged. Everyone on the plane was alive and accounted for, the agency posted, with 21 adults transported to local hospitals in good condition.

A photo posted by deputies shows a Miami Air International logo on the plane. The company didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.

Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry posted on Twitter that teams were working to control jet fuel in the water.

Navy security and emergency response personnel were on the scene and monitoring the situation, the Navy release said. Family members who were expecting the arrival of passengers were instructed to stand by.

Officials did not immediately say what caused the plane to leave the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration was referring media inquiries to NAS Jacksonville.

Plane Crash Florida
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