Boeing 737 crashing into river reminiscent of '09 Hudson River incident

Twenty-one people were injured in the Friday night incident when the pilot attempted to land the Boeing amid thunder and heavy rains. All the 136 passengers and seven crew members were rescued by early Saturday morning. 

Images from social media showed rescue teams scurrying over the plane in the St. Johns River, similar to the January 15, 2009, emergency landing on the Hudson River.

That time, the US Airways' Flight 1549 with 155 people on board had suffered a bird strike upon take-off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. It was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina. 

The US Airways' pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, had told the air traffic controllers that the plane suffered "a double bird strike" that led to loss of both the engines and that he was expecting the plane to flip over and break apart.

Given the total loss of power and time constraints, the pilot opted to land on the Hudson River. 

Air traffic controllers at LaGuardia saw the plane clear the George Washington Bridge by less than 900 feet before gliding into the water.

Later, Sullenberger, emerged as a hero, with praise being heaped on him by passengers, officials and aviation experts for handling the emergency river landing with aplomb and avoiding major injuries. 

The incident was dubbed as "Miracle on the Hudson" and the story behind it was told in the movie "Sully". Actor Tom Hanks played pilot Sullenberger.

Sullenberger's final words before losing contact with Air Traffic Control were calm but direct: "We're gonna be in the Hudson." 

The time between the loss of the engines and landing the plane was 208 seconds, just under four minutes.

21 injured as Boeing 737 skids into Florida river 

At least 21 people were injured after a Boeing 737 charter jet arriving at a naval air station in Florida from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, slid off the runway into a river, authorities said.

All of the 136 passengers and seven crew members had been rescued by early Saturday morning, a Navy spokeswoman said. None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office said the plane had never been submerged. Photos showed it floating on the St. Johns River, The New York Times reported.

The accident occurred at about 9.40 p.m. on Friday as the pilot attempted to land the jet at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville amid thunder and heavy rains.

"I think it is a miracle," Capt. Michael P. Connor, the commanding officer at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, said at a news conference early Saturday. "We could be talking about a different story."

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the White House had called to offer its assistance. 

The flight was operated by Miami Air International, a charter company that shuttles military service members from the base in Guantanamo Bay to naval air stations in Jacksonville and Norfolk, Virginia. 

The flights run every Friday and every other Tuesday, said Susan Brink, a Navy spokeswoman.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to start an inquiry. Boeing said it also was investigating, but did not provide any other details.

Friday night's accident comes as Boeing has been under intense scrutiny following two deadly crashes of its 737 MAX jet within months of each other: Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March of this year. 

The two accidents killed a total of 346 people and led to a global grounding of the aircraft.