In a dramatic incident on Monday, a Navy plane overshot the runway during rainy weather and landed in Kaneohe Bay at a military base in Hawaii. Despite the critical conditions, all nine people on board survived safely, AP news agency quoted officials as saying. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Ryan Fisher confirmed that the Coast Guard responded quickly, but the rescue operation was immediately called off. “It appears that all parties involved were saved,” Fischer said, as quoted by the AP.
Gunnery Sgt. Marine Corps spokesman Orlando Perez could not immediately provide details about the cause of the crash involving the P-8A aircraft at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
A witness, Dianne Dirks, snapped a photo showing the plane in the water just off the coast, reminiscent of the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson”, when a passenger jet piloted by Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger touched down in New York City. Made a successful emergency landing on the Hudson River. York rescued all 155 people on board, the AP reported.
Dirks, who had just returned from a pontoon boat tour that was halted due to rainy weather, recalled the moment: “We ran to the end of the dock, and I took some pictures.” He said his daughter, armed with binoculars to spot birds, played a vital role in spotting the plane and witnessing the rescue efforts.
“It was unbelievable,” Dirks commented, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the incident, as quoted by the AP in its report.
AP spokesman Malcolm K. The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call reporting the downed plane just after 2 p.m., Medrano was quoted as saying. According to Thomas Vaughn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, the weather at the time was cloudy and rainy, with visibility limited to about 1 mile.
The P-8A, which is commonly used for submarine hunting, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, is manufactured by Boeing and shares components with the 737 commercial jet. The aircraft involved belong to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4, which is stationed on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Although the patrol squadrons were once based at Kaneohe Bay, they now deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis, the report noted
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