Environmental Concern Raise As US Navy Plane Remains in Hawaii Bay

A large US Navy plane remained in Hawaii Bay, generating concerns about environmental damage and doubts about how the military would remove the aircraft.

Authorities reported that the P-8A Poseidon plane crashed into Kaneohe Bay off the Hawaiian island of O'ahu on Monday with nine people on board after missing its target landing at the Marine Corps Hawaii installation.

Nine Crew Rescued

The incident happened around 1:57 p.m. local time. The crew are conducting a "routine training" session at the time. The nine passengers were rescued and confirmed to be unharmed by the landing when they returned to shore.

The Boeing P8 Poseidon is a military surveillance and patrol plane. The aircraft is often used to hunt submarines as well as for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is built by Boeing and shares many components with the 737 commercial plane. According to aviation expert Peter Forman, the runway in Kaneohe is shorter, and inclement weather and winds may have also played a role.

"The pilot probably didn't put the plane down exactly where he wanted to on the runway. It's probably a combination of all those factors put together," he added.

Environment Impact

Residents around the bay were eager to learn about plans for the big plane's removal and were concerned about potential damage to the area's coral reef, as well as potential harm from fuel and other chemicals.

According to Hiilei Kawelo, executive director of Paepae o Heeia, the organization that cares for the pond, the plane landed around 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from an old Hawaiian fishpond.

Kawelo acknowledged that removing the aircraft is a major undertaking, but she is hoping that the military will at the very least defuel it "in a timely fashion - like today."

The location where the plane landed near the base is not open to the public, but Kawelo said she is familiar with the bay's larger reef, which is rich in small fish and octopuses.

"I'm hoping that it landed on a sandy patch that didn't house any coral," she said. "But our coral reefs are absolutely critical and important for the ecosystem. ... They are the foundation for life in the ocean."

According to the Navy, divers worked overnight to help stabilize the plane.

They added that a preliminary examination suggests that the aircraft is structurally sound and that there is no evidence of gasoline seeping from the aircraft.

The recent plane incident is adding to the community's fear of the military, according to Wayne Tanaka, executive director of the Sierra Club of Hawaii, citing a vast fuel storage facility that harmed 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into a Pearl Harbor drinking water well in 2021.

Tanaka has stated that he wants the state to hold the Navy responsible for any damage.

After the plane is removed, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will undertake a damage assessment, according to department spokeswoman Dan Dennison.

So far, no fuel has been leaked, according to the state Department of Health, which responds to suspected fuel leaks.