The Latest: Airline offers $2,500 to plane passengers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Latest on the charter plane travelling from Cuba to north Florida that ended up in a river at ends of runaway (all times local):

4:35 p.m.

The operator of a chartered jet that ran into a river at a Florida military base is offering $2,500 to each passenger as a “goodwill gesture.”

Miami Air International made the offer to the 136 passengers on Monday in an open letter from the airline’s CEO expressing regret for what happened.

None of the passengers, nor the seven crew members, had serious injuries from the flight, which departed Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Friday and skidded into the St. Johns River hours later after landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

The airline says passengers’ luggage is still in the cargo hold of the airplane, which was partially submerged in the river.

The airline says once federal investigators give the green light, airline workers will retrieve the bags, clean them and notify owners.

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10:05 a.m.

Authorities say deceased pets have been recovered from a chartered jet that ran into a river at a Florida military base.

Naval Air Station Jacksonville said in a statement late Sunday that a dog and two cats were recovered in their carriers from the Boeing 737 that skidded into the St. Johns River after landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

None of the 143 human passengers and crew members had serious injuries from the landing Friday night.

Despite trying twice, rescuers were unable to remove the pets from the cargo area immediately after the landing because that section of the plane was underwater. Divers were sent in Sunday to retrieve the animals.

Base officials say another cat that flew in the plane’s cabin was safely removed by the cat’s owner.