据美国有线新闻网最新报道，当地时间12月19日下午2时30分左右，美国一架水上飞机在佛罗里达州迈阿密海滩附近坠毁，目前已经发现19具尸体。

    据报道，乔克海洋航空公司的这架双引擎小型飞机原定从迈阿密飞往巴哈马的比米尼群岛，在起飞时坠毁于迈阿密海滩附近游船和货船所使用的狭窄航道中。目前这个航道已经关闭。

    迈阿密市长的发言人告诉记者，目前已经发现19具尸体，没有任何生还者的迹象。发言人说，旅客名单显示机上共有17名乘客和2名机组成员。不过，航空公司此前曾称，机上共有2名机组成员和18名乘客，其中包括3名婴儿。美国海岸警卫队高官梅斯也表示，机上共有20人，目前已经找到19具尸体，搜救工作仍然在进行当中。

    一名在现场的女子说，她看到飞机飞得相当低，声音有点过响，突然，她听到飞机发生爆炸，还看到两块碎片，接着飞机冲入海中。另一名男性目击者也称看到爆炸的发生。他说，一个机翼脱落，然后飞机发生爆炸。

    美国海岸警卫队发言人瓦尔说，他曾无数次看到这架飞机在海上起飞和降落，此次事故的发生出乎他的意料。瓦尔还称，他看到一股浓黑的烟雾，然后，救援警报响彻了他所在的基地。

    美国联邦调查局已经派遣特工协助调查，但目前尚无迹象表明这是一起恐怖袭击事件或者蓄意破坏事件。

    乔克海洋航空公司在迈阿密和巴哈马之间开设航线，并使用可以在水面起飞和降落的飞机(即水上飞机)。该公司水上飞机起飞时，乘客可以尽览港口和海边豪宅的美景。

    19 bodies have been recovered in the seaplane crash off Miami Beach on Monday, authorities said.

    The twin-engine Grumman G73 seaplane operated by Chalk's Ocean Airways was en route to Bimini in the Bahamas, said Roger Nair, general manager and director of operations at Chalk's, during a news briefing.

    "Chalk's has been in the airline business since 1919 and this is our only crash with passengers," Nair said. "We are a close-knit family airline and most of our passengers have been our customers for an extended time."

    Witnesses said there was an explosion before the plane crashed, but the Coast Guard said the cause of the crash was not immediately known, and that it could not confirm there had been an explosion.

    "The left wing was in flames, a big flame and then we hear boom and the whole plane was on fire. It went straight into the water," Vincent DiLella, a 19-year-old surfer, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

    The FBI sent agents to assist in the investigation, but there was no immediate indication of terrorism or sabotage, said Judy Orihuela, spokeswoman for the FBI's Miami field office.

    "It's too soon to say whether we are going to get involved," Orihuela said. "We're just going to check it out."

    The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of investigators to the area.

    The Chalk's Ocean Airways, founded in 1919, operates regular flights to and from the Bahamas, and its floating planes take off on the water.