Presumed dead pets on board the Jacksonvile flight while the NTSB investigates an accident

Federal investigators began Saturday to understand what prompted a military plane carrying 143 people and at least four pets to slide on a US Navy runway in Jacksonville and hit a river on Friday night. At worst, everyone on board escaped with minor injuries, but authorities assume that the Boeing 737's domestic animals are dead.

Flight 293 from Miami Air International took off from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and had a difficult landing at Naval Air Station at around 9:50 pm.

"A lot of people are asking about pets on board the plane …," said a spokesman for the US Navy in a statement posted on Facebook. "Unfortunately, they have not been recovered yet due to security issues related to the aircraft. Our hearts and prayers go to the pet owners during this terrible incident. "

USA Today reports that four pets were on the manifest of the flight and that they are presumed dead, the cargo being filled with water during the landing.

At a press conference Saturday to announce the accident investigation updates, including the safe recovery of the flight data recorder from the aircraft. NAS Jacksonville Captain Michael Conner stated that the first responders tried to locate the animals but could not see any above the waterline. and left the region in fear for their own safety.

"We asked them to specifically look for pet bearers, and they could not see any … above the waterline," he said. "So, we obviously have no confirmation, but we continue to do what we can to positively determine the status of pets."

Conner, who claimed to be a pet owner, said his heart sank when he learned that animals were on the plane.

"I spoke with some of the pet owners last night; it was very obviously a difficult situation. Our sympathies and my heart go to these families. "

At the press conference, Bruce Landsberg, vice president of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that the aircraft's flight data recorder, which has not sustained any damage, is was returning to the NTSB laboratory in Washington, DC, and authorities were working to remove the plane from the aircraft. river to retrieve the cockpit voice recorder.

"We can not do it until the plane is moved," he said.

Federal investigators arrived at the scene Saturday and have not yet determined the cause of the accident. Among the factors studied are the state of the runway, the weather conditions at the time of landing and a possible human error, Landsberg said.

The flight data recorder will provide investigators with raw data on airspeed, altitude, touchdown point and other details.

"We hope to get a very comprehensive report on this subject soon," he said.

According to Landsberg, Miami Air International, which operates charter flights from Guantanamo to Jacksonville and Virginia, was involved in an accident during its existence, a hard landing in Pennsylvania in 2015.

The charter company operates five Boeing. The plane involved in Friday's crash, a Boeing 737-800, was built in 2001 and has no history of incidents, Landsberg said. More than 900 Boeing 737-800 aircraft are in use in the United States and have more international scores, he said.

Landsberg said the runway pavement, which measures approximately 9,000 feet long and 200 feet wide, is not marked by grooves, which are designed to quickly divert water from the runway through heavy rain. It's not clear if it was a factor on Friday, he said.

Heavy rains were reported during the incident, but investigators have not yet determined the time that he was doing at the time of the accident.

"The aircraft departed the right side of the runway at the far end and struck a shallow protection wall of pebbles and stones that stopped in the shallow rivers of the St. Johns River," did he declare.