A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon submarine-hunting aircraft ended up in Hawaii’s Kaneohe Bay, marking the first time the service may lose one of the Boeing 737-based jets and the second major mishap involving the type this year.
The P-8, assigned to Patrol Sqdn. Four (VP-4) from NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, overshot the runway at MCAS Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu and ended up in the water at about 2 p.m. local time Nov. 20. Nine personnel on board made it to shore uninjured.
The aircraft was on a routine training mission. Photographs posted on local news and social media show the P-8 partially submerged with the radome removed.
While the P-8 was temporarily deployed to Oahu, it marked a return of sorts for the patrol squadron. VP-4 was based on the island until March 2016, when it was still operating Lockheed P-3 Orions.
Navy Safety Command said the mishap was the second major incident involving the fleet this year. On June 23, a P-8 from Patrol Sqdn. (VP) 47, also from NAS Whidbey, suffered heavy fan blade and engine cowling damage. The cause has not been disclosed, and it is listed as a Class A mishap—defined as one with damage that costs at least $2.5 million to repair.
The U.S. Navy has 117 P-8s, and is on contract for 128 though it has outlined a need for 138, according to Boeing.
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