Amid adverse weather conditions, the airliner-sized jet overshot the runway at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii and landed in shallow water atop a coral reef. Nine crew members were aboard, all of whom escaped the plane as it partially filled with water.
In the footage, shot by a diver, the plane’s undercarriage can be seen wedged into coral and a slew of cables tangled around its wheels to stabilize the 130,000-pound plane and prevent it from moving further. Its massive turbofan engines sit suspended just inches from the coral reef.
However, the aircraft is not totally submerged: Navy photos taken after the crash show most of the aircraft above the wing roots to be above water, although the aircraft’s aft end is more submerged than the nose.
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Jeremy Beaven, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, provides guidance and emphasizes safety before defueling operations commence on a downed U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon in waters just off the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, MCBH, Nov. 26, 2023. The successful defueling of the downed P-8A was critical to the execution of the aircraft salvage plan.
At a news conference earlier this week, Navy officials said a protective floating barrier had been erected around the aircraft within 30 minutes of the crash, and that it had already been drained of fuel in a special operation, removing 2,000 gallons of fuel in an operation never performed underwater before on this aircraft.
“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,” Rear Adm. Kevin P. Lenox told reporters, adding that the bay has significance “not just as a strategic location for the military, but as a critical ecosystem and a cherished part of the local community.”
He added that the Navy was working with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to assess the impact on the reef caused by the crash.
Lenox said the Navy was exploring two options: either using a crane to drag the aircraft out of the water or to use inflatable cylindrical floating bags to lift the plane up to the point that it could then be rolled onto land. He said the decision would be made on Friday afternoon.
A still from underwater footage of a crashed P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in shallow water off the coast of Hawaii. The aircraft overshot the runway during a November 20, 2023, landing in bad weather, and the Navy has begun a salvage operation to retrieve the airliner-sized jet.
A still from underwater footage of a crashed P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in shallow water off the coast of Hawaii. Its wheels have punched a deep gash in the coral. The aircraft overshot the runway during a November 20, 2023, landing in bad weather, and the Navy has begun a salvage operation to retrieve the airliner-sized jet.
Derived from a Boeing 737 airliner, the P-8A Poseidon has become the US Navy’s workhorse maritime patrol aircraft. With a combat range of 1,383 miles, the massive aircraft can loiter for hours as it hunts submarines or surface warships with sonar buoys, naval mines, or a variety of anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. Several US allies have also purchased the Poseidon, including Australia, Norway, and India.
In 2020, as the patrols were being dramatically expanded, a Poseidon was forced to make an emergency landing at a US base in Okinawa, Japan, after suffering engine trouble, possibly from overuse on such patrols.