U.S Navy To Recover Crashed Plane Off Hawai Coral Reef Using Inflatable Cylinders

The U.S. Navy came up with an intelligent way to remove its plane that crashed into a coral reef in Hawaii.

Video Credits: WKRN News 2

It’s going to employ inflatable cylinders for the same. Rear Adm. Kevin Lenox, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, is leading the salvage effort. He stated that this task can be carried out without damaging the reef.

The P-8A had hit an environmentally sensitive bay around 16 km from Honolulu when it overshot the runway at Hawai’s Marine Corps Base. Luckily, none of the nine individuals on board suffered from any injuries.

An underwater video released by the Navy showed the plane’s landing gear wheels were on parts of coral that had been crushed, and the other part of the plane was floating above the reef in Kaneohe Bay.

A special team had removed all the 2000 gallons of fuel from the aircraft. Lenox expected the plane should be removed by Saturday as contractors slid the bags underneath the plane on Friday. Once inflated, these bags would float towards the runway and reach the land, where machines would pull and roll them on the runway.

Although there is a slight possibility that a bay may touch a coral, nonetheless, the plane’s weight would be fairly distributed, so only 3-5 pounds of pressure would be there if a bag touches the ground, he added.

He assured the team was confident that the operation could be carried out without significant damage to the delicate ecosystem.

Officials from Hawaii will examine the reef to determine the extent of damage after removing the plane.

The U.S. Navy used this plane for surveillance, reconnaissance and search for submarines. Lenox said it is in good condition, and the Navy plans to fly it again.

This plane was assigned to Patrol Squadron 4 and deployed at Whidbey Island, Washington state. Another crew from the island was deployed to Hawaii to take over the patrol missions close to Hawaii.

Kaneohe Bay houses several coral reefs and various marine animals, from sharks to octopuses and colourful fish. The area is known for an old fishpond restored by local communities.

References: Times of India, Business Standard

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