A U.S. Navy aircraft overshot a runway and landed in a bay in Hawaii on Monday. Fortunately, all nine people on board were able to safely reach the shore with no injuries. The Coast Guard initially responded to the incident, but rescue operations were quickly called off as everyone had already been rescued. The P-8A aircraft overshot the runway at a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, according to Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson. However, further information regarding the incident was not provided.
A witness captured a photo showing the plane resting just offshore, reminiscent of the famous 2009 incident known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.” This incident involved a commercial aircraft piloted by Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York. All 155 individuals on board that flight survived. The P-8A and the Airbus A320 piloted by Sullenberger are similar in size.
Diane Dircks and her family had recently returned to the dock after their pontoon boat trip was cut short by rain when they noticed the aircraft in the water. Dircks quickly took pictures of the scene, and soon after, they heard sirens coming from all directions. Dircks, who is visiting from Illinois, mentioned that her daughter had binoculars for birdwatching, enabling them to witness the plane and the arrival of rescue boats.
The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call reporting the downed aircraft in the early afternoon. The weather at the time was cloudy and rainy, with visibility limited to about 1 mile. The P-8A aircraft is commonly used for submarine hunting, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares numerous parts with the commercial jet, 737.
The aircraft involved in the incident belongs to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4, stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington state. While patrol squadrons were previously based at Kaneohe Bay, they now deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, located about 10 miles from Honolulu on Oahu, houses approximately 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members. The base is one of several significant military installations on the island.
Kaneohe Bay, where the incident occurred, is not only home to the Marine Corps Base but also features coral reefs, serves as a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks, and houses a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute.
This report includes contributions from Associated Press writer Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and was reported by Dupuy in New York.
