F-18 crashes into houses in San Diego

[Nigel C]

Breaking news:

Just shown on the Today Show was fires burning in a residential area apparently as a result of an FA-18 crashing into houses. No confirmed reports if the pilot ejected or casualties.

From www.news.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...08-401,00.html

F-18 fighter jet crashes into residential area of San Diego

NEWS.com.au
December 09, 2008 07:34am

Emergency ... a FA-18 fighter jet, similar to this one, has creashed into a residential area in San Diego.
AN F-18 fighter jet has crashed into a residential neighbourhood in San Diego. The Federal Aviation Administration said the US military plane had crashed as it made its approach to land at a military base in Miramar.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot ejected.

There were no immediate reports of the pilot's condition or injuries on the ground, he said.

He said the plane crashed in a residential area.

Mods, please adjust the thread title...typo in the aircraft type

[Shameel Kumar]

These are photos posted by 'AnonymousInSAN' on A.net


From what I'm reading the pilot did indeed eject.

Didn't a Blue Angels jet crash a handful of months ago as well ?


EDIT: damn photos don't work.. dunno what I was thinking when it comes to A.net.

[Nigel C]

More news to hand...looks like 2 confirmed dead, 2 missing presumed dead.

From www.news.com.au and this link http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...08-401,00.html

F/A-18 fighter jet crashes into San Diego homes
By staff writers
NEWS.com.au
December 09, 2008 10:17am

Jet crash

A US fighter jet has crashed into houses on a suburban street in San Diego. 12/2008

F/A-18 crashes, two dead, two missing
Pilot ejects, taken to hospital
Pictures: Jet crashes into homes

AN F/A-18 fighter jet has crashed into a residential neighbourhood in San Diego, killing at least two people.

Two houses were destroyed by the crash and a third was set on fire.

Officials have confirmed that two people have died and a further two are missing.

“Four persons (in the home), two of which have been found,” San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said. “We know that there might have been a grandmother and a mother and two children.”

No further information on the deaths was immediately available.

Witnesses said the pilot had tried desperately to avoid houses, before being forced to eject just seconds before the plane hit the pavement.

Dennis Connor, 50, told the San Diego Union-Tribune he saw the saw plane coming in at a 45-degree angle.

“He was trying to get to the canyon,” Mr Connor said. “He held on as long as could. At the last second, the pilot parachuted out.”

The plane smashed into pieces. Mr Connor said an engine was the only part he could distinguish. A box of electronics was left in the bushes.

“Everything was just mangled aluminium,” Mr Connor said.

Jason Whitmer told the LA Times he talked to the pilot after he ejected and landed.

“He was pretty shook up," Mr Whitmer said. "And pretty concerned if he had killed anyone. He had seen his bird go into a house.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said the US military plane had crashed as it made its approach to land at a military base in Miramar - used for the Top Gun film.

Marine Corps spokesman Jay Delarosa told the San Diego Union-Tribune the plane was a two-seat F/A-18 Hornet, from the 3rd Marine Air Wing's training squadron. It was en route from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, operating in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.

It is believed there was one pilot on board, who ejected safely.

The plane came down near Cather Avenue and Huggins Street, University City. Witnesses told how homes shook and flames "were shooting as high as the light pole".

Local media reports said the plane "barely missed" a local high school.

More than 60 firefighters tackled the blaze and the jet's wreckage was scattered across the street.

Scott Bloom, a local bank worker, said he was on his way to visit elderly clients when he saw the pilot eject from the low-flying plane.

"I thought I was dreaming," he said. "It was so surreal."

He said the plane was silent in the moments before the crash. He said he arrived at his clients' home two houses away from the houses struck by the plane.

"I was very afraid for my clients," he said. "My heart was beating and I ran up to their house and there was smoke and flames all over the street."

Resident Scott Patterson told KNX radio "we saw two big bangs", according to CBS. "The smoke came up. We don't know what it was."

Ben Dishman told MSNBC that the crash shook his house about a block away in the densely populated area and that officials were warning residents to move back.

"I knew definitely it was an explosion. ... It was pretty strong," he said.

Shelby Lovitt, a senior at University High school, said she heard a loud boom and saw a plane go down. The school has been locked down and no one is allowed to leave, she said.

The BBC said the San Diego Fire Department described the scene of the crash as "a heavily populated area" near the 805 freeway.

The Miramar base was used for the filming of Tom Cruise's hit film Top Gun and the F-18 is used widely in the Marine Corps and Navy.

One eyewitness told a local TV reporter the plane had spiralled out of control like a scene from the 1986 movie.

"It just spiralled right out of Top Gun. It came flying down. My mother screamed," he said.

One pilot parachuted onto a school playing field. "He just looked like he was dazed like 'Oh, my God, what happened over civilian air space?'," the eyewitness said.

With AFP

[Shameel Kumar]

Steve Krasner, who lives a few blocks away in the earthquake-prone region, said he first thought the shaking generated by the crash was the long-anticipated "Big One."

He was in his kitchen when he heard two loud explosions and looked outside, then heard a larger blast.

"The house shook; the ground shook. It was like I was frozen in my place," Krasner said.

"It was bigger than any earthquake I ever felt," he said. "The flames were billowing overhead."

The F-18 is a supersonic jet used widely in the Navy and Marine Corps and by the Navy's stunt-flying Blue Angels. An F-18 crashed at Miramar in November 2006, but the pilot ejected safely.

Miramar, well known for its role in the movie "Top Gun," is home to some 10,000 Marines. It was operated by the Navy until 1996.




Link to Full Article and Aerial photos: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...1d2hgD94UQEU80

[NickN]

Was just reading an updated story in which the gentleman who lost his family said he doesn't blame the pilot. I know he has lost everything but it is nice to see he is also understanding in his time of grief. The report goes on to say the pilot reported loss of power and stayed with the aircraft as long as was possible before deciding to eject. The pilots first words were "I hope I didn't kill anybody".

[Gerard M]

Just an update in the news today, www.smh.com.au says that the crew are being discipined along with others on the base for not following safety procedures.
Can't find an article on it but there is a video of a report on the website.

[damien b]

More on this can be found here.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,1947853.story