The American reconnaissance plane missed the runway and crashed into the sea

The P-8 Poseidon carrying 9 people encountered a problem while landing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii during a training flight on November 20. Photos from the scene show the P-8 sliding off the runway and crashing into the sea about 45 meters away.

The area of ​​Kaneohe Bay where the P-8 crashed was about 1.5-7.6 m deep. Rescuers then spread lifelines to prevent oil from spreading around the plane and brought the entire crew to safety.

The US military has not announced the cause of the accident or related material damage. According to aviation expert Peter Forman, the short runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, bad weather and strong winds could cause the P-8 to crash.

“The pilot probably couldn’t land the plane in the exact position he wanted on the runway, causing it to not have time to brake and crash into the sea,” Mr. Forman said.

The P-8 Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance aircraft has been developed by the US since 2004 to replace the P-3 Orion model, which has been in operation since the 1950s. As of July 2022, the US Navy has received 112 the P-8A.

The P-8’s crew has 9 people, including two pilots and 7 personnel operating the aircraft’s systems. The P-8 has a maximum speed of 907 km/h, a flight range of up to 8,300 km, and a combat radius of more than 2,200 km.

The aircraft has 11 weapons pylons and can carry anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, anti-radar missiles, torpedoes, mines, depth bombs and the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Weapons System (HAAWC).

The P-8 is equipped with many submarine detection and reconnaissance systems, the main one being the AN/APY-10 radar capable of identifying submarine periscopes as well as tracking surface ships from hundreds of distances away. kilometer.

Nguyen Tien (According to USNI, HNN)