US Navy plane gets stuck on coral reef after missing Hawaii runway

Nov 30, 2023

William Jackson Producer

By William Jackson (Producer)

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A U.S. Navy plane landed in shallow water off Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay on Nov. 20. The crash is causing environmental concerns as the plane’s tires are resting on parts of a reef, according to underwater footage released by the Navy.

U.S. Navy Sailors with Company 1-3, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 and Patrol Squadron 4 monitor a submerged diver during defueling operations on a downed U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon in waters just off the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2023. The successful defueling of the downed P-8A was critical to the execution of the aircraft salvage plan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon Aultman) — Department of Defense

The video shows the left engine of the aircraft resting on coral, with the plane sitting on a mixture of coral and sand.

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The Navy has removed nearly all of the estimated 2,000 gallons of fuel from the plane, and state environmental officials plan to conduct a damage assessment once the aircraft is removed.

U.S. Navy Sailors with Company 1-3, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, prepare to detach a fuel hose after completing defueling operations on a downed U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon in waters just off the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2023. The successful defueling of the downed P-8A was critical to the execution of the aircraft salvage plan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon Aultman) — Department of Defense

“The aircraft is currently, there is a mixture of coral and sand underneath that,” said Mark Anderson, a U.S. Navy commander of the mobile diving and salvage team. “Believe right now it’s the front landing gear is resting in a pocket. It’s off and on touching depending a little bit on the tide. And then it is the left engine is resting on coral.”

The Navy placed two temporary floating barriers around the P-8A aircraft at its resting spot in the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay to prevent any potential fuel spill or other contaminants from polluting the ocean.

A U.S. Marine holds a fuel hose being secured during defueling operations on a downed U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon in waters just off the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2023. The successful defueling of the downed P-8A was critical to the execution of the aircraft salvage plan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon Aultman) — Department of Defense

“Since the incident and through the weekend, this team has been singularly focused on developing a salvage plan for this aircraft that prioritizes the safety of personnel and the environment here in Kaneohe Bay,” said Rear Adm. Kevin Lenox, a U.S. Navy on-scene commander for salvage.

No injuries were reported among the nine people on board when the plane landed in the water. Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Honolulu.

A U.S. Sailor with Company 1-3, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, prepares to dive and detach a fuel hose after completing defueling operations on a downed U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon in waters just off the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2023. The successful defueling of the downed P-8A was critical to the execution of the aircraft salvage plan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon Aultman) — Department of Defense

The Hawaii Coast Guard launched a rescue team, but the effort was quickly called off as all passengers made it safely to shore.

No further information was given on a cause for what led the P-8A plane to overshoot its mark, but a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu said at the time of the incident, visibility was about one mile.

The Navy uses Boeing-manufactured P-8A planes for submarine searches and surveillance. According to Associated Press reports, the P-8A plane that landed in Kaneohe Bay belongs the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4 stationed at Whidbey Island, north of Seattle.