F-18 Fighter Jet Crashes Into Homes
December 13, 2008
A military jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in San Diego, California, on Monday as it tried to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, an FAA spokesman told CNN.
The pilot ejected before the jet, an F/A-18, went down two miles from the airfield about 11:55 a.m. PT, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Information about injuries wasn’t immediately available, Gregor said. CNN affiliate KGTV reported that the pilot was transported to a local hospital in “mild status.”
Aerial video broadcast by KGTV shortly after the crash showed thick gray smoke billowing from what appeared to be a heavily populated residential area of several houses near Interstate 805.
Two homes were destroyed, and officials don’t know whether anyone was inside the structures during the crash.
The crash happened as the jet was returning to the Miramar field after performing landing training on a Navy aircraft carrier, the Marine Corps said in a news release. The cause of the crash is under investigation, it said.
Authorities cordoned off the area. Residents told reporters they had been informed by police that chemicals were in the air and they should stay away.
One resident interviewed by CNN affiliate KFMB said he saw a fighter jet at a very low altitude, and “it just spiraled, right out of ‘Top Gun.’ ”
The movie “Top Gun” was based on the Navy fighter pilot training program at the Miramar facility.
The resident said he saw a flier from the aircraft on the ground after parachuting from the plane. He said the pilot was dazed but able to move on his own.
Bank worker Scott Bloom told KGTV he was on his way to visit clients when he saw someone eject from the plane. He said the plane was silent in the moments before it went down. “I thought I was dreaming,” Bloom told KGTV. “It was so surreal.”
The principal of a high school about three blocks from the crash site said students had just finished lunch when staffers heard “two large pops or two large booms.” The school and its students were not directly affected by the crash, but the school was put into lock-down mode for students’ safety, Principal Mike Price said.
The pilot was in communication with military air traffic controllers before the jet crashed, the FAA said.
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25 Responses to “F-18 Fighter Jet Crashes Into Homes”
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This is not …
This is not militarys fault,this is san diegos fault for allowing houses to be that close! I feel so bad for the guy n his father n law. I also feel for the pilot cause he has to live with what he saw. Horrible situation. Also, to the idiots out there..the runway is over 2 miles from this house…dont blame the military for training to keep u ers safe…blame your city for allowing to build around the area. Miramar was here long before these houses and its not goin anywhere because of this.
My heart goes out …
My heart goes out to that poor man. Seeing him tearfully address the press made me want to cry myself. And when he said he thought his father-in-law would never forgive him for what happened?!? How terrible to blame himself like that! Like it was his fault for not being there!?! He was working to support the family he loved. I hope he can get some photos and/or videos from friends & family to remember his wife & children by because obviously all the memories that were in his house are gone. 🙁
So Sad. My prayers …
So Sad. My prayers go out to the family that was lost in the crash.
Poor Korean man… …
Poor Korean man… lost his family and everything he had.
BAHAHAHAHAHA …
BAHAHAHAHAHA another example of dumb americans
I don’t treat …
I don’t treat everyone on the internet with disrespect, I am very civil and I’ll admit I was a little rash but I don’t take kindly to some moron trying to correct a comment I made, like I’m some ing idiot, when he has no clue what I said in the first place… so perhaps it would behoove you to pay attention to detail… a little more thorough reading would go a long way in avoiding replies like mine…
Actually, I am not …
Actually, I am not a moron. Perhaps I read a little quickly, but that hardly relegates me to a status of mental incapacity. And your words clearly demonstrate anger. The use and meaning of expletives has become diluted, but not that diluted… As a side note, perhaps it would behoove you to stop treating everyone you deal with on the internet with disrespect. A little civilty goes a long way in avoiding replies like mine…
I don’t hate you …
I don’t hate you nor was I angry at all, I was making a point with clear emphasis that you sir, are a ing moron…
exactly!! they are …
exactly!! they are more maneuverable than jumbo jets, thus they have the capability of flying closer to without hitting it!! those commercial airliners fly RIGHT over all those buildings on Banker’s hill when they come in to land… that’s my only point
Yes I know this, …
Yes I know this, the guy that said he was the pilot was joking and so was I… it’s a line out of Anchorman
A 10 minute drive …
A 10 minute drive for a car going 25 mph… verses jets which fly at sub-sonic and super-sonic speeds. 2 miles is NOTHING for a jet.
Airplanes going …
Airplanes going into San Diego go out, and come in, FACING THE OCEAN. Miramar faces both ways, as its jets are much smaller and more maneuverable than jumbo jets.
“Closer” does not mean much when you look at the DETAILS of how the particular jets are flown.
And calm down, please… no reason to get jumpy.
Manbearpig… the …
Manbearpig… the military has LONG been trying to buy out the land this particular neighborhood was in, BECAUSE they knew it was in the flight path for Miramar jets. The families refused to leave, despite the known danger.
They KNEW this could happen. Add in Murphy’s Law, and this is what you get.
Just to be clear, I’m not BLAMING the families. Anyone could want to stay in their home, thats normal. But don’t smudge the details, either.
He won’t be wanted …
He won’t be wanted for manslaughter… this was a horrid accident, but MECHANICAL error. If anything people should be thanking the pilot for trying to control the jet as long as he did.
All my sympathies to the family who lost so much… a terrible day, no matter how you look at it.
One house is down …
One house is down completely, another was impacted, and it depends on how it came down where and how far away the debris should be.
The pilot waited to the last second to eject to avoid as many homes as he could. He could have easily taken out half a dozen homes if he hadn’t stayed that long.
THIS its a clear …
THIS its a clear example of MURPHYS LAW;something eventually its going to go wrong
peace n love
Thats because the …
Thats because the plane didnt explode, it just caught fire. If it exploded, then there would be more than 3 houses burning
it looks like part …
it looks like part of the house is still standing? from wut i learned from 911 , the house should be a pile of dust, and debris should be 600 feet away and no part of it should be identifiable
You should feel …
You should feel sorry for the dead family: one year and one month old babies and their mother, NOT the pilot.
You should feel …
You should feel sorry for the dead family: one year and one month old babies and their mother, NOT the pilot.
Wow… So much …
Wow… So much anger… Calm down dude, it’s not the end of the world. I misinterpreted your belated remark- I did NOT kill your whole family… One of these things warrants an angry outburst, the other does not.
Ya I’ve been …
Ya I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, you might want to lay low for a couple of days because you might be wanted for manslaughter…
wow really? I …
wow really? I didn’t know that… You are ing idiot dude read my comment again, I never said Miramar was San Diego’s airport… I was just making a point that jets that fly into the San Diego airport fly a lot closer to people’s homes compared to MCAS Miramar… You are a in’ moron…
Miramar is not San …
Miramar is not San Diego’s airport, it’s the Marine Airfield…
sorry about that …
sorry about that guys i was flying that jet