Miami Air offers $ 2,500 "goodwill gesture"

The airline operator who skidded the runway at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville and in a river in Florida last week offered $ 2,500 to each passenger as a "gesture of good will".

In an open letter dated Monday, the CEO of Miami Air International apologized to the survivors aboard the Boeing 737-800 who left the runway after landing at the military base.

Kurt Kamrad said that payment acceptance would not affect their rights, adding that passenger safety and satisfaction were the priorities of the airline.

Rescuers in boats saved the 143 people on board. A dog and two cats belonging to a family of soldiers died in the military charter plane that had arrived from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, confirmed Sunday the naval station of Jacksonville.

& # 39; There was the biggest blow & # 39 ;: Black box found after the Boeing 737 crash landing in Jacksonville, Florida; airplane had air conditioning problems earlier

& # 39; We are so sad & # 39 ;: Three pets died in the Boeing 737 aircraft that crashed in Jacksonville, Fla.

The passengers have not yet received their checked baggage. Kamrad wrote that the luggage is still in the hold of the plane. Once the National Transportation Safety Board agreed, he said the airline would collect, catalog and clean the baggage. Then, an agent will organize the return of the luggage of the passengers.

"We understand and appreciate the difficult experience you have had," wrote Kamrad.

The National Security Bureau recovered the flight data recorder on Saturday, said investigator Dan Boggs. The voice recorder was in a submerged part of the plane and was not immediately recovered, authorities said Sunday.

A few hours before the accident, the airline told passengers that the plane may not be able to fly due to air conditioning problems, said Darwing Silva, a passenger at the Tampa Bay Times.

More than 20 people were treated for minor injuries, but only one was hospitalized – a 3-month-old baby, and only as a precaution, the authorities said.

"I think it's a miracle," said Captain Michael Connor, Base Commander. "We could talk about a different story."

A final investigation report on the accident could take more than a year. Boeing issued a statement that he was providing technical assistance to the investigation.

Contribute: The Associated Press

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