Navy plane misses runway and lands in Hawaii water

A large US Navy surveillance aircraft overshot a runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and crashed into water off the island of Oahu, military officials say.

None of the nine passengers aboard the Boeing P-8A Poseidon plane were injured in the Monday afternoon incident, authorities told US media.

Pictures showed the twin-engine reconnaissance jet in the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay.

The incident took place at a time of cloud, rain and poor visibility.

National Weather Service data indicates that at the time of the crash mist limited visibility to about one mile (1.6km) as wind gusts peaked at 21mph (34kmh).

The P-8A Poseidon is an advanced aircraft that can cost as much as $275mil (£219mil). Carrying torpedoes and cruise missiles, the plane is often used in intelligence gathering, naval operations and anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

The crashed plane in question is typically stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington state but had deployed to Hawaii for "routine training", officials said.

The military, which did not provide an assessment of the possible environmental damage, surrounded the crashed aircraft with absorbent booms in an effort to keep leaking fuel from spreading, local CBS News affiliate Hawaii News Now reported.

Booms, made of spongy polypropylene, are often used to control and clean up oil spills.

Local residents raised fears that the plane had crashed on a reef that supports Hawaiian marine life.

While relieved that no one was injured, local resident Jonee Kaina said she was concerned about the effects the crash could have on the environment.

"I think someone needs to take a look at the impact the plane is doing to our marine life," she told Hawaii News Now. "There is jet fuel, anti-freeze and other toxins."