Dozens Injured After Plane Crashes Into St. Johns River in Jacksonville

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 8, 2019

Making headline news around the country on Saturday, May 4th, was the report about a Boeing 737 that crashed in Jacksonville after skidding off the runway of NAS Jacksonville. The reports from the numerous agencies that responded to the aviation accident indicated that the flight was returning from Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay when it made its landing at NAS Jacksonville. Aboard the plane at the time of the accident were 142 individuals. It is believed that most of these people were civilians who were simply returning from Cuba after a vacation.

The precise reasons behind the crash are not clear, although it is known that numerous government agencies are all working together in order to try and figure out just what occurred to cause such a terrifying incident. What we know is that after the plane began to land, the pilots were not able to fully stop the massive aircraft. As it bounced across the runway, the tires began to skid, placing the plane in a position where it was possibly going to overturn. Fortunately, the pilots were able to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, they were not able to regain control over the plane before it slid off of the Naval Air Station Jacksonville runway and directly into St. Johns River.

While it is not believed that any fatalities were reported as a result of the incident, we do know that close to two dozen people were transported from the area of the accident to nearby hospitals. Among this group of people were at least three children. The condition of most of these people is believed to be stable, and reports have emerged stating that all of the patients had been released from the various hospitals as of Saturday morning. One of the children involved was a 3-month-old infant who was taken to Wolfson Children’s Hospital after the accident. While they were kept at the hospital overnight in order to undergo observation, it is believed that the hospital staff deemed the child fit to be released by the next day.

The plane remains stuck in the water of St. Johns River and the investigation into the reasons behind the incident remains ongoing.

Sources:

• 3-month-old among passengers taken to hospitals after 737 skids into St. Johns River

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.