All 9 aboard military plane from Whidbey Naval Air Station that overshot runway escape injury
Nov 21, 2023, 1:48 PM | Updated: 2:16 pm
This photo provided by Diane Dircks shows a U.S. Navy plane that overshot a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. An official says all nine people aboard the plane have escaped injury. (Diane Dircks via AP)
(Diane Dircks via AP)
All nine people aboard a U.S. Navy plane traveling from Whibey Naval Air Station have survived a crash into the Pacific ocean, the military said Monday.
The P-8A aircraft crashed just past the runway at a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay after overshooting the runway and landing into the bay in Hawaii, said U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez. It was cloudy and rainy at the time.
The Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Department was called to respond to the crash.
When they got to the scene, military officials told the emergency workers that all nine people on board made it safely to shore, and there were no injuries, spokesperson Shayne Enright said.
Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Ryan Fisher said the Coast Guard rescue operations were quickly called off.
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“It sounds like all parties involved were rescued,” he said.
A photo taken by a witness showed the plane just before impact and floating just offshore.
The Garden Island News reported that the plane belongs to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4 stationed at Whidbey Island. Patrol squadrons were once based at Kaneohe Bay, but now they deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis.
The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.
The Kaneohe Bay base is about 10 miles from Honolulu on Oahu.
Contributing: The Associated Press
