In the crystal-clear waters of Kaneohe Bay, a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft that weighs over 130,000 pounds is stuck atop a fragile reef ecosystem.
The P-8A Poseidon plane ended up there after overshooting the runway at a Marine Corps base in Hawaii last month, careening into the water, leaving nine crew members scrambling to safety and the Navy trying to figure out what had gone wrong and how to get it out safely.
Underwater footage appeared to show the plane partly afloat, with at least one wheel creating a gouge in the fragile coral.
On Friday, the Navy was still working to recover the plane, which it said had returned from flying a routine training mission when it ended up in the water.
The crew members were rescued from an inflatable life raft, and none were injured, according to a spokeswoman at the base.
Organizations:
U.S . Navy, Marine Corps, Navy
Locations:
Kaneohe, U.S, Hawaii