Nine Navy personnel were onboard when the jet made the crash landing, authorities confirmed on Monday
A U.S. Navy plane crash landed into the water in Hawaii after overshooting a runway at a military base.
The P-8A Poseidon plane crashed into Kaneohe Bay off the Hawaiian island of O’ahu on Monday with nine passengers onboard after missing its target landing at the Marine Corps Hawaii base, authorities confirmed, as reported by the Associated Press.
The incident occurred at around 1:57 p.m. local time during a “routine training” session with the crew, military officials said per local outlet Hawaii News Now. The nine passengers were rescued and found to be uninjured by the landing once they made it back to the shore, according to the outlet.
The Boeing 737 passenger plane has been seen in photos and clips circulating online partially submerged in the shallow waters following the crash landing.
It is thought that the incident may have happened due to foggy and windy weather conditions in the area, but an official reason for the crash landing has not been confirmed.
“The pilot probably didn’t put the plane down exactly where he wanted to on the runway,” aviation expert Peter Forman told Hawaii News Now. He explained that the Kaneohe runway is also shorter than most runways, adding another possible reason for the landing.
“It’s probably a combination of all those factors put together, ” Forman said.
According to Thomas Vaughan, who is a meteorologist in Honolulu, visibility in the area was reduced to approximately one mile at the time of the incident, the AP reported.
Eye witness Diane Dircks from Illinois, who was on a family trip at the time of the crash, told the AP, “We went running over to the end of the dock, and I took some pictures. It was unbelievable.”
The crew onboard the fallen aircraft were “on a detachment in support of maritime homeland defense,” Navy Lt. Mohammad Issa told NBC News.
An investigation is now ongoing following the crash.