Navy to investigate how patrol aircraft overshot runway, ended up in the water in Hawaii

The Navy is investigating how a passenger-jet-sized surveillance and patrol aircraft ended up in the water on Monday after it overshot the runway at a Marine Corps air base in Hawaii.

The incident happened about 2 p.m., when the P-8 Poseidon aircraft was landing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, about 27 miles east of Oahu. Navy officials said nine crew members were aboard at the time.

“All personnel safely evacuated the aircraft. The crew, assigned to Whidbey Island, Wash.-based squadron VP-4 ‘Skinny Dragons,’ were on a detachment in support of maritime homeland defense,” the U.S. Naval Institute reported, citing officials from the Navy’s 3rd Fleet.

The aircraft could be seen partially submerged in the shallow waters off the coast of the Marine Corps base after the incident. The crew was conducting routine training at the time, officials said.

The P-8 Poseidon is designed to hunt down and attack surface ships and submarines, and conduct intelligence-gathering missions. The planes can be armed with torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. They can also drop sonobuoys to detect submarines.

Aircraft expert Peter Forman told Hawaii News Now that the runway at the Marine Corps base is relatively short and noted that bad weather may have played a part in the incident.

“The pilot probably didn’t put the plane down exactly where he wanted to on the runway,” Mr. Forman said. “It’s probably a combination of all those factors put together.”