A U.S. Navy plane overshot a runway and landed in a bay in Hawaii on Monday. Fortunately, when the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Department arrived at the scene, they were told that all nine people aboard the plane had made it safely to shore and were uninjured, according to spokesperson Shayne Enright. Although the Coast Guard initially responded, rescue operations were quickly called off as all parties involved had already been rescued. The incident took place at a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, with the P-8A aircraft ending up floating just offshore.
A witness at the scene captured a photo of the plane in the water, leading to comparisons with the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson.” Just like that famous incident, all 155 people aboard the commercial aircraft survived. In another striking parallel, the U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft is roughly the same size as the Airbus A320 piloted by Captain Chesley Sullenberger during the “Miracle on the Hudson.” The plane is used for various tasks, including hunting for submarines and reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.
The Marine base, located about 10 miles from Honolulu on Oahu, houses around 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members. Kaneohe Bay, where the incident occurred, is also known for its coral reefs and serves as a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute.
