Summary
- A US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft overshot the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and ended up in the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay.
- All nine occupants of the plane safely made it to the shore.
- The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but inclement weather may have been a factor.
A US Navy aircraft overshot the runway while landing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Monday. The plane, a P-8 Poseidon, ended up in the waters of Kaneohe Bay. The situation is still being assessed to determine the cause of the accident, but it has been reported that all occupants of the aircraft safely made it to the shore.
US Navy P-8 Poseidon ends up in shallow water
On the afternoon of November 20, a US Navy P-8 Poseidon airplane overshot the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) and entered the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay. According to reports, the incident took place at around 14:00 local time.
The immediate concern was about the aircraft’s occupants, but thankfully, all nine passengers onboard were reported to be safe and made it to the shore without any injuries. Images doing the rounds on social media show the mid-sized plane floating on water, similar to the incredible Hudson River landing of an Airbus A320 flying as US Airways flight 1549.
Accident cause to be determined
The reason for the plane overhooting the runway has not yet been determined. Relevant authorities will investigate and look at all evidence to determine the cause of the crash. But some aviation experts have given their opinion.
The aircraft was flying on a rainy afternoon, so inclement weather may have played a role in the incident. Aircraft expert Peter Forman told Hawaii News Now that the runway in Kaneohe is relatively shorter, and windy conditions and tricky weather may have been responsible for the accident. He added,
“The pilot probably didn’t put the plane down exactly where he wanted to on the runway. It’s probably a combination of all those factors put together.”
The Honolulu Fire Department also received a 911 emergency call regarding the aircraft, and according to Thomas Vaughan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu, the visibility in the area at the time of the incident was about 1 mile.
With the aircraft still floating on the water, local residents are concerned that there could be toxic leakage, such as fuel and other materials. Kaneohe Bay houses many coral reefs and other aquatic life and has a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute.
The P-8 Poseidon aircraft
The P-8 Poseidon aircraft is manufactured by Boeing and is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft. It shares 86% commonality with the commercial Boeing 737NG aircraft and can fly up to 41,000 feet.
Photo: Boeing
Several naval forces across the world operate this plane, which has two versions: the P-8I, flown by the Indian Navy, and the P-8A Poseidon, flown by the US Navy, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force, according to Boeing.
What are your views on this? Please leave a comment below.
Source: Hawaii News Now, AP News