HONOLULU– The U.S. Navy estimates it will cost $1.5 million to rescue a jet that crashed into a coral reef in Hawaii nearly two weeks ago, officials said Saturday.
Navy spokesman Mohammad Issa said the recovery efforts are aimed at protecting the environment and safely recovering the aircraft in a manner that preserves its combat capability. He said $200,000 has already been spent on the operation.
The Navy plans to use inflatable cylinders to lift and roll the jet off the reef where it crashed on November 20.
The P-8A, the military version of a Boeing 737 jetliner, crashed into an environmentally sensitive bay about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Honolulu as it passed over the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. None of the nine people on board were injured. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Vice Adm. Kevin Lenox, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3 leading the recovery effort, said Friday he is confident the operation can be carried out without further damaging the reef.
The Navy released underwater video Wednesday showing the plane's landing gear wheels resting on sections of broken coral and much of the rest of the plane hovering above the reef in Kaneohe Bay.
A Navy team removed almost all of the estimated 7,500 gallons of fuel from the plane.
Hawaii state officials will survey the reef for damage once the plane is removed.
Kaneohe Bay is home to coral reefs and an array of marine life, from sharks to octopuses and fish. The area is home to an ancient Hawaiian fishing pond that is being restored by community groups.
Contractors performed a similar feat when they removed a 1,000-ton (907 metric ton) ship from sensitive seagrass habitat in North Carolina's Outer Banks after Hurricane Florence in 2015.
The aircraft weighs approximately 60 tons (54 metric tons).
The Navy considered floating the plane within reach of a crane on the runway and then lifting the plane ashore. But Lenox said the inflatable cylinder option was the safer method, expected to have little to no effect on the coral and would have no impact on the aircraft.
The jet is in good condition and the Navy hopes to get it flying again, Lenox said.
The Navy uses the P-8A to search for submarines and conduct surveillance and reconnaissance.
The Boeing-made aircraft is assigned to Patrol Squadron 4, based on Whidbey Island in Washington state. A separate crew from Whidbey Island has been deployed to Hawaii to take over the squadron's patrol missions near Hawaii.