A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/probe-begins-after-boeing-737-slides-off-runway-into-florida-river-216035">Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river</a> at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday.

The failure of the left-hand "thrust reverser" on the Boeing 737-800 was one of the factors investigators were looking at, as well as a request by the pilots to change runways said National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg.

The plane chartered by the US military landed during a thunderstorm at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night and was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members.

It slid off the end of the runway into shallow water and sank up to its wings, forcing passengers to walk along with the wings to safety.

"The aircraft had been in maintenance and the maintenance log noted that the left-hand thrust reverser was inoperative," Landsberg told a press conference, explaining that the component slowed an aircraft by diverting thrust from an engine.

Several dogs and cats travelling in crates in the submerged forward hold of the plane are presumed dead and the US Navy has arranged to have divers remove them from the aircraft, said Landsberg.

Shortly before landing, the pilots asked to change to a runway that had equipment set up on it, reducing the length of available landing space to 7,800 feet (2377 meters) from a total runway length of 9,000 feet (2743 meters), Landsberg said.

"We don't know what they were thinking or why that was their choice," said Landsberg of their decision.

The aircraft, chartered from Miami Air International, landed at a speed of 163 Knotts (188 mph) with a tailwind of 15 Knotts (17 mph) that increased its ground speed to 178 Knotts (205 mph) on landing, Landsberg said.

Asked to confirm that the speed appeared excessive, Landsberg declined to comment.

The cockpit voice recorder is in the submerged tail of the plane and investigators will not be able to recover it until the aircraft is drained of fuel and lifted out of the water.

A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday.

A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday. The failure of the left-hand "thrust reverser" on the Boeing 737-800 was one of the factors investigators were looking at, as well as a request by the pilots to change runways said National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg. The plane chartered by the US military landed during a thunderstorm at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night and was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members. It slid off the end of the runway into shallow water and sank up to its wings, forcing passengers to walk along with the wings to safety. "The aircraft had been in maintenance and the maintenance log noted that the left-hand thrust reverser was inoperative," Landsberg told a press conference, explaining that the component slowed an aircraft by diverting thrust from an engine. Several dogs and cats travelling in crates in the submerged forward hold of the plane are presumed dead and the US Navy has arranged to have divers remove them from the aircraft, said Landsberg. Shortly before landing, the pilots asked to change to a runway that had equipment set up on it, reducing the length of available landing space to 7,800 feet (2377 meters) from a total runway length of 9,000 feet (2743 meters), Landsberg said. "We don't know what they were thinking or why that was their choice," said Landsberg of their decision. The aircraft, chartered from Miami Air International, landed at a speed of 163 Knotts (188 mph) with a tailwind of 15 Knotts (17 mph) that increased its ground speed to 178 Knotts (205 mph) on landing, Landsberg said. Asked to confirm that the speed appeared excessive, Landsberg declined to comment. The cockpit voice recorder is in the submerged tail of the plane and investigators will not be able to recover it until the aircraft is drained of fuel and lifted out of the water.

'Thrust reverser' broken on plane that slid into Florida river

Federal investigators on Saturday began searching for what caused a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-737-slides-into-florida-river-with-136-on-board-no-fatalities-215789">Boeing jetliner with 143 people on board to slide off a runway</a> into a shallow river while landing at a Jacksonville, Florida, military base during a thunderstorm, injuring 22 people.

The Boeing 737-800 chartered by the US military was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members when it slid into the St. Johns River at the end of the 9,000-foot runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night, authorities said.

Officials raised the count of people injured to 22, from 21, after a three-month-old child was admitted to a local hospital for observation, Capt. Michael Connor, commanding officer at the Jacksonville station, told a news conference.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have recovered an undamaged flight data recorder and it has been sent to Washington for analysis, NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said at the news conference.

"We expect to get a very full report on that shortly," he said.

Investigators said they are hoping to interview the crew on Sunday.

The cockpit voice recorder is in the tail of the plane and submerged underwater. Investigators will not be able to recover it until the aircraft is lifted out of the water, Landsberg said.

"We are going to be very careful in preserving the perishable evidence," he said.

Officials were determining the best way to remove the plane from the water, NTSB investigator in charge John Lovell said.

"There are some ideas being floated in terms of putting some sort of cushioning below it ... and moving it on those cushions," he said.

The US Coast Guard placed floating booms around the jetliner to contain leaking jet fuel in the water, Landsberg said.

The plane, chartered from Miami Air International, was attempting to land at about 9:40 pm local time amid thunder and lightning when it slid off the runway and came to rest in the shallow water of the river, authorities and passengers said.

Landsberg said investigators will look closely at whether the weather played a role in the incident.

"It is a miracle. We could be talking about a different story," Connor said early on Saturday.

Active duty military members, civilian government employees and their dependents were on the jetliner, Connor told CNN.

The military base is on the western bank of the St. Johns River about 8 miles (12.87 km) south of central Jacksonville, about 350 miles (563.27 km) north of Miami.

Miami Air International is a charter airline operating a fleet of the Boeing 737-800, different from the 737 MAX 8 aircraft that has been grounded following two fatal crashes involving that plane.

Representatives of the airline did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

A spokesman for Boeing Co said that the company was aware of the incident and gathering information.

The charter company is contracted by the military for its twice-weekly "rotator" round-trip service between the U.S. mainland and Guantanamo Bay, said Bill Dougherty, a spokesman for the Jacksonville base.

Federal investigators on Saturday began searching for what caused a Boeing jetliner with 143 people on board to slide off a runway into a shallow river while landing at a Jacksonville, Florida, military base during a thunderstorm, injuring 22 people.

Federal investigators on Saturday began searching for what caused a Boeing jetliner with 143 people on board to slide off a runway into a shallow river while landing at a Jacksonville, Florida, military base during a thunderstorm, injuring 22 people. The Boeing 737-800 chartered by the US military was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members when it slid into the St. Johns River at the end of the 9,000-foot runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night, authorities said. Officials raised the count of people injured to 22, from 21, after a three-month-old child was admitted to a local hospital for observation, Capt. Michael Connor, commanding officer at the Jacksonville station, told a news conference. National Transportation Safety Board investigators have recovered an undamaged flight data recorder and it has been sent to Washington for analysis, NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said at the news conference. "We expect to get a very full report on that shortly," he said. Investigators said they are hoping to interview the crew on Sunday. The cockpit voice recorder is in the tail of the plane and submerged underwater. Investigators will not be able to recover it until the aircraft is lifted out of the water, Landsberg said. "We are going to be very careful in preserving the perishable evidence," he said. Officials were determining the best way to remove the plane from the water, NTSB investigator in charge John Lovell said. "There are some ideas being floated in terms of putting some sort of cushioning below it ... and moving it on those cushions," he said. The US Coast Guard placed floating booms around the jetliner to contain leaking jet fuel in the water, Landsberg said. The plane, chartered from Miami Air International, was attempting to land at about 9:40 pm local time amid thunder and lightning when it slid off the runway and came to rest in the shallow water of the river, authorities and passengers said. Landsberg said investigators will look closely at whether the weather played a role in the incident. "It is a miracle. We could be talking about a different story," Connor said early on Saturday. Active duty military members, civilian government employees and their dependents were on the jetliner, Connor told CNN. The military base is on the western bank of the St. Johns River about 8 miles (12.87 km) south of central Jacksonville, about 350 miles (563.27 km) north of Miami. Miami Air International is a charter airline operating a fleet of the Boeing 737-800, different from the 737 MAX 8 aircraft that has been grounded following two fatal crashes involving that plane. Representatives of the airline did not immediately reply to requests for comment. A spokesman for Boeing Co said that the company was aware of the incident and gathering information. The charter company is contracted by the military for its twice-weekly "rotator" round-trip service between the U.S. mainland and Guantanamo Bay, said Bill Dougherty, a spokesman for the Jacksonville base.

Probe begins after Boeing 737 slides off runway into Florida river

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'Thrust reverser' broken on plane that slid into Florida river

Probe begins after Boeing 737 slides off runway into Florida river