HONOLULU — A large U.S. Navy plane remained in a Hawaii bay Tuesday, the day after it overshot a runway and landed in the water, raising concern about environmental damage and questions over how the military would remove the aircraft.
All nine people aboard the P-8A were uninjured when the plane, flying in rainy weather, overshot the runway Monday at a Marine Corps base in Kaneohe Bay outside Honolulu.
Crews set up a temporary floating barrier to protect the environment, and an investigation is underway, Navy spokesperson Lt. Mohammad N. Issa said in an email Tuesday.
The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.
Residents near the bay were eager to hear plans for the massive plane’s removal and were worried about possible damage to the coral reef in the area, along with harms from fuel and other chemicals.
The plane landed about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from an ancient Hawaiian fishpond, said Hiʻilei Kawelo, executive director of Paepae o Heʻeia, the organization that cares for the pond.
“The plane in the water is concerning,” she said. “It’s directly upwind from our fishpond.”
Kawelo said she understands removing the plane is a big undertaking but is hopeful the military will at least defuel it “in a timely fashion — like today.”
Navy officials didn’t immediately answer…
