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Subscribe to RSSEmergency responders continue to search for people who may be trapped, but so far there have been no fatalities. NBC’s Thanh Truong reports.
About noon on Friday, residents in Virginia Beach, Virginia, witnessed a fighter jet streaking past — nothing unusual for this oceanside city surrounded by military bases. But this Navy F/A-18D was too low, trailing smoke and flames — and witnesses watched as the two pilots ejected from the aircraft, which careened into an apartment complex, exploding into flames.
"My whole backyard was on fire," said one resident.
It was type of accident that some residents in this city have worried about, amid the familiar rumble of military aircraft. But four hours after the crash, only a handful of injuries and no fatalities had been reported.
The result might have been far worse.
Bruce Nedelka, the Virginia Beach EMS division chief, said that witnesses saw fuel spilling from the jet before it went down and that fuel was found on buildings and vehicles in the area.
"With all of that jet fuel dumped, it was much less than what it could have been," Nedelka told The Associated Press.
It was unclear whether the pilots dumped the fuel or whether the "catastrophic mechanical malfunction" that a Navy spokesman said the jet suffered might have contributed.
The area, about 400 miles south of Washington on the Atlantic coast, has a large concentration of military bases, including Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world. The F/A-18D was assigned to Naval Air Station Oceana, about four miles southwest of the Mayfair Mews Apartments, scene of the crash.
Bill Tiernan / AP
Emergency personnel gather at the scene of a jet crash Friday in Virginia Beach, Va. Two Navy pilots ejected from the fighter jet which then careened into an apartment complex and set buildings on fire.
John Swain, who was exiting an interstate highway nearby, came upon the scene just seconds after the crash and said it appeared that the jet had hit a two-story apartment complex dead center.
"The plane came right over us and was clearly in difficulty," he told msnbc cable TV. "There were flames coming off the back … The plane got lower and lower and just as I turned … it crashed."
'My whole backyard was on fire'
Ernie Gonzalez, who is retired military, was sitting on the front porch of his daughter-in-law’s house behind Naval Station the base where the jet had taken off. He said a few other jets had departed before the one that crashed.
"He was flying real low like he didn’t have any power," Gonzalez told msnbc.com by telephone.
"He was smoking really bad. Bad smoke was coming out of the engine. It kind of backfired a couple times. I heard two pops … then 15 seconds later I heard the explosion."
Gonzalez said the other jets then started circling around the crash site.
The Navy has launched an internal investigation to find out more about why a fighter jet crashed into an apartment complex in Virginia. As of Friday there were no reported fatalities. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.
Amy Miller told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper that she was outside the cleaners where she works when she saw a plane coming down with fire on its wing.
"I saw two parachutes eject. I saw them open up and then head toward the ground to the right of the jet," she told the newspaper.
About two seconds later it crashed, she said.
Joan Coleman told the Daily Press newspaper that she was on the phone in her Mayfair Mews apartment when it happened.
"I saw this explosion," Coleman told the paper. "My whole backyard was on fire."
Coleman said she told the person she was talking to on the phone, "Oh my God, there is a jet, it just landed in my backyard. It's exploded."
Neighbors rushed to the scene, and some jumped into action to help. One woman told NBC reporter Thanh Truong that she and others pulled four people from one building just before it collapsed.
Pilot: 'Sorry for destroying your house'
Residents said that one of the pilots had to be cut free of his parachute gear after it became tangled in a burning building. Neighbors ran to the scene with a knife to free him so he could be moved to safety, the city editor of The Virginian-Pilot told msnbc cable TV.
Colby Smith said his house started shaking and then the power went out, as he saw a red and orange blaze outside his window. He ran outside, where he saw billowing black smoke and then came upon the tangled pilot as he ran to a friend's home, The Associated Press reported.
"I saw the parachute on the house and he was still connected to it, and he was laying on the ground with his face full of blood," Smith said.
"The pilot said, 'I'm sorry for destroying your house,'" Smith told the AP.
As fire crews worked to douse the flames, first responders searched for victims. Crews had searched dozens of units and were approaching the remaining few very carefully because of extreme structural damage, according to Virginia Beach Fire Department Capt. Tim Riley. He said there was a slim chance anyone could have survived in those final units.
Up to that point, however, only eight people were injured, he said, including three who refused treatment. None, including the pilots, had serious injuries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Sounds like a miracle to me! Hopefully the worst is 8 injuries. It could have been so much worse.
I'm not paint a pretty picture of this. We, the taxpayers, paid for the jet and now, we get to pay for a neighborhood. Just a few years ago invaded Iraq--blew it up and we, the taxpayers, will continue to pay for this super-sized military. I'd magically cut that budget by a minimum of 50% and close all foreign bases, end the war in Afghanistan, and begin the work of putting this country back together. Taxes were cut with 2 wars raging--never happened before in history. Now, the right says they can show us how to cut the top marginal rate to 15%. They don't bother to tell you that they fully intend to grow the military with does us no good, while spending nothing on our crumbling infrastructure. Screw this monumental waste of money.
Please, shut up. This isn't about the government or taxpayers.
Well, good, another Ron Paul supporter then.
Sandtrich, since you brought up cuts, let's cut the federal dept of education down to about 350 people. BTW - I have no problem with reducing the DOD some, but 50%?
I can justify deep cuts to the federal dept of education as it duplicates what the states have, but DOD?
Getting back on topic though, I am glad that so far no lifes were reported lost.
I wonder if one of the fighters fuel lines had been connected correctly. Well whatever the case glad no one was seriously hurt.
sandtrich how about you go live in a country where taxes aren't collected, you don't have the freedom of speech to say such hateful comments about the people who keep you safe without IEDs on every corner and suicide bombers on the school bus which takes your kids to school... My suggestion would save us quite a bit of money on your social security and medicare when you get older, go ahead and save us those precious dollars and get out of the country that gives you all the freedom in the world!
It's always tragic when a military jet crashes; and it's even more tragic when it happens over a housing. I really hope, that no one was killed.
However, after 20 years in the Air Force then going back to some of the old bases I was stationed at, I am always amazed at the housing that has been built up around them.
Pilots bust their Azz's to keep the plane from crashing over a populated area. If you haven't been in that situation you don't know if you'll eject or go down with the plane. Saying the pilots should have went down and died is absurd. They waited until just a couple seconds before the crash to eject.
How do we balance the need to housing AND the need for a base that has been there long before the housing? Increase DoD's budget to rebuild in an unpopulated area?
It is too bad they couldn't make it to the nearby ocean. Tiny is correct, just like the "Great Santini" these well trained pilots will do everything possible to avoid landing in a populated area.
I agree Tiny Rebel. The bases were there first. It's at their own risk if people choose to live right smack next to an airfield. Of course the pilots do what they can not to cause damage like this, but sometimes things fail, and accidents like this will happen. I hear stories like this pretty often. I was in Jacksonville, and people were calling the base CO complaining that the jets were too loud. Lol, REALLY?!? You bought a house right next to an airbase, what did you think you'd be hearing? Some people. And to the guy above who suggested we close down all foreign bases; that is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Ever. That guy clearly doesn't realize that it's important to be able to get any where in the world quickly. Not to mention the projection of power is also important.
I was in the Air Force from 93-97... although I didnt fly, (I taught pilots how to avoid being shot down by surface to air missiles) They do EVERYTHING in their world to avoid damage.. Dont blame them... they did the right thing and tragedy struck...
Momof7 Thank you for your post that put into words the first thought I had..."what a miracle...this had the potential to be so much worse with some Kids being on Spring Break and some companies closing early for the holiday weekend it's truly amazing that there've been no fatalities and the number of wounded is as low as it is." sandtrich maybe your post has some meat to it but not here on this story and not now. My Father was in the Navy and stationed at the Norfolk naval base...my little Brother was born there in fact. Our military has been there for a long time so to me it's a testament of the training and skill of those pilots that we're not sitting here reading about a rising death toll. Regardless of your political views can't you just marvel at and be thankful that NO ONE was killed?
Tiny and Indy...I'm so amazed by these pilots and thank you both as well for your service to this country, and your posts. Well said mindy...honestly that's all I feel right now, political views aside...I'm just thankful that this accident has at this time claimed not one life.
american-2051576
We need to use tax payer money more wisely is my point. We spend 7 times more on defense that China, #2, and 12 times more than Russia. So--if the DoD had their budget cut in half we'd still spend 3 1/2 times what China spends and 6 times what Russia spends.
We need the funds for education, pay down the debt, and rebuild the infrastructure.
Also, I'm for a tax increase.
And, to the poster that gave me the "love it or leave it speech," why do you people do that. I served in the Navy during Vietnam, my father was a WWII submariner, and my son is a Naval officer---you head back to the Roman Empire as it fell and you will see that it fell for the same fiscal insanity that our elected/purchased officials are doing to this country now.
We have to get back to doing the "right things" as a country.
The thing is sandtrich I'm not disagreeing with the point of your posts...I'm disagreeing with them being in response to this article itself. This isn't the time to push your points about politics...it's a time to be amazed and thankful that in something that was tragic there was no loss of life at this point. That's ALL I meant by my response to your post.
It is time that we take notice at this porkubus spending on defense and my post was not disrespectful in any way as there were no fatalities.
I'm glad it didn't happen tomorrow, a lot more people would of been home.
that's nice.. so they know the jet is going to crash into an apartment building filled with tons of innocent people, or even if they didn't know yet they know it's going to hit somewhere and kill someone, yet they choose to take the cowardly way out and jump out . .
these are the guys fighting for our country? i don't know everything about fighter jets or the mechanics, but i do know if my plane is going down and i'm not surrounded by ocean or such and i know its going to kill people, the last thing i'm going to do is jump out and let that jet kill innocent people . . even if you can't do anything at least go out like a man and do the right thing.. what a bunch of cowards.. absolutely disgusting
Former Navy pilot? If not, you have no clue what you would do.
and i just want to say i do 100% appreciate and am grateful for the men and women fighting for us. and while it IS easy to sit behind a computer and talk trash about certain news events, i really don't feel this is a situation where i am "talking trash" . . when you fight for our country you go in knowing you would die for it. i really feel this was a horrible, atrocious thing to do when you see so many people in the area who would be killed by this jet crashing . . . again, maybe i don't know anything and the guys can't choose to stay in, maybe the seats are ejected automatically, however i still believe it's wrong . . if they killed my mother or father or sister it would be admirable and honorable to know that they chose to stay in and be killed as well . .
So... according to you, they should have died with the plane AND crashed into the apartment buildings? I'm sure if they could have avoided the buildings they would have, but at least now there's no speculation that these guys were terrorists. Their survival ensured that their side of the story could be told.
If their flaps and stabs were out, I dobt there was anyhting they could do. When a plane is unresponsive, there IS no turning it away, and from what I can hear, they did the right thing. The fuel was (possibly) dumped, and they were probably flying as slow as humanly possible given the cirucmstances. No sense in wasting lives in what was likely to be a fatal accident, and I seriously doubt you would have stayed in the plane yourself, not that it would've served a purpose other than your uneeded death.
feelsgoodtobeaman....you're an idiot. Where is the honor in taking your own life because your plane is going down? That why all the planes are equipped with emergency ejections seats & parachutes. If someone accidentally kills someone...then they should die too? Where is the logic in that?
feelsgoodtobeaman....I can put you in touch with a recruiter anytime you're ready, tough guy.
Pilots are trained to eject from their plane if it is going to crash. Having these two pilots die would not gain anything. It is not their fault that the plane had a malfunction. They are definitely not cowards.
There are so many things wrong with the above statement I don't know where to begin:
1. You think the best choice is to go down with the aircraft after it is clear there is nothing else you can do possibly needlessly killing two (more?) people?
2. If you knew much about these aircraft you would know that once the engines fail they glide about as well as rocks.
3. These are highly trained navy pilots. They have had thousands and thousands of dollars invested in them and only a few select people in the world have the knowledge they have. Personally, I would prefer they life to fight another day rather than going down due to some misplaced sense of valor.
4. Ever piloted a jet that suffered catastrophic mechanical failure? I haven't and thus would not presume to pass judgement on the actions of those who have been in that situation.
Dude, there is just no way to back peddle out of this one. Take your lumps like the man you say it is good to be.
The only thing disgusting here is your comment, "feelsgoodtobeaman"? Really? How about "feelsgoodtobeadouchebag"? Seems more fitting
this is why i usually don't post my feelings.. everyone has their own opinions, however i still stand by what i say. no annie i'm not a former pilot, but i do know the type of person and man i am and i am comfortable with myself and if i ever did fight for my country i would have a promise to myself that i would go out if something like this was happening. some of you aren't really getting who i am and what i am saying and that is fine, everyone feels the way they do. for those of you saying 2 more people dead gains what?? well for those of you saying that then you would obviously be more comfortable jumping out... it's the honor of knowing that because you are in charge of this plane and you are responsible for what happens, whether it was your fault or not, knowing that you are going to be killing many innocent people who were enjoying their beautiful day and the honor is that you would have to go out as well, only right and fair...
you don't need to jump on me and call me a douchebag . . you are entitled to your opinions and you would all obviously jump out and save yourself and that is fine, i myself would not choose to do so and i am comfortable and happy with myself living this way. it is easy since i am not in that situation and have never been, but being a fighter pilot i would be as in touch with myself as i am now and i would always know that if anything ever happened and i was going to be killed innocent people i would have to die myself because that is what's right. if you don't agree with me then you are obviously wouldn't do this and you can live your life that way. i know the type of guy i am and the type of guy i am wouldn't jump out and save myself, that is that.. have a good day then
real clear win - you left out a historical reference... during WWll, Japanese pilots went down with their planes rather than parachute free to fight another day. Good for the allies in Japans willingness to throw away experienced pilots, very bad for Japan.
If they had any control over the plane and could have gotten it to an unpopulated are you might have a point. However,it sounds like the pilot had no control of the jet which is very likely when on fire. It would have been a last great act of utter stupidity to ride the plane to the ground just to die in the crash for no reason. I didn't realize suicide was "manly".
@JS76
I'll take you up on that offer.
Berecca: Nice logic. Great job on thinking things through to take in what surely would have been speculated upon by the conspiracy nuts. Well done.
Harakiri - Feelsgoodtobeaman? Feel free too. . .
Some people watch too many movies. the military does not teach you how to committ suicide. it teaches you how to survive. this crash happened seconds after takeoff and the pilots probably had no control over where the plane was going to crash. A catastrophic engine failure just after takeoff would have caused the plane to lose airspeed really fast. jets do not glide. once they get down to a certain speed they are going to drop like a rock and the pilot can't do anything. that's why witnesses say the plane was going down nose up. Witnesses also say that the pilots ejected about 2 seconds before the plane hit so they probably tried whatever they could. GET REAL!! If a fireman does everything he can to rescue somebody from a burning building but can't get to the person would you expect him to stand there and let himself burn with the person? NO!!! Why would you expect the pilots to do any different? How would going down with the plane make them any more manly? It was going to crash where it crashed no matter what.
That being said, I think the great thing about this story is how the residents reacted. They rescued people from buildings, cut the pilot loose from his paracute and did a lot to keep this situation from getting worse. If you live in the path of an airstrip it has to occur to you at some point that this sort of thing can happen.
Pilots are expensive to train. To get qualified it costs over $1 million taxpayer money for a navy pilot. There was 2 men so it means it was a F/A 18 Super Hornet tandem jet it costs $66.9 million.
feelsgoodtobeaman, just for the record, there are far too many military pilots who fought for control just a little too long and are no longer with us. The plane had just taken off so it was already very low. They probably weren't using anywhere near full power to reduce the noise because of the housing areas. This means they were also slow, not far above stall until they could get over the ocean. On the news this even one of the apartment residents said that it sounded like the engines were out and the pilot was trying to restart them. Both pilots landed very near the crash. Sounds like these guys did fight it to the last second but they were just too low and too slow to get over the water. They probably could have hung in a second or two longer but then we would have two dead pilots and still a bunch of smoldering homes.
Just for the record, this will receive a thorough investigation. The cause of the accident will be determined. Even if the accident is determined to be mechanical, the actions of the pilots will still be investigated to make absolutely sure they did absolutely everything they could to avoid the crash and to avoid hitting anything on the ground. You might not read about it if you don't live in the Norfolk area, but the results will be published.
While i agree with the premise of a pilot remaining with his aircraft if going down in a populated area to steer it as best he can to minimize potential carnage ( ala The Great Santini ). Im thinking that these pilots did exactly that, evidenced by the fact that one pilots chute was draped over and hung up on a burning structure. Logic says that they did indeed wait till the very last second to eject when no further action was left to take.
Feelsgoodtobeaman: You do realize that as of right now, no civilians died, right? Telling two pilots to die because of all the NONEXISTENT "loss of life", would have made this even more tragic. It's so easy for someone to say "I'd go down with the jet", especially those with absolutely NO flight training, or even military training, for that matter. I guarantee you, your survival instincts would have been screaming for you to eject. I'd tell you all the reasons why the pilots did everything possible, but the other people above me have already covered those reasons. I work in the aviation community in the Navy, so I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about. We need those experienced pilots for overseas missions. We certainly don't need anyone to die needlessly. I'm glad they got out safely.
well i happened to be reading your replies and did care enough to chime back in. mindy, obviously, like i said, you feel the way you do and that is what works for you. the type of person you are and the type of soul that lies within you would want to save yourself, and that is a beautiful thing. i myself love my life and who i am, i fear death and dying like nothing else, it is my worst fear! i would never want to leave this beautiful life. however, if the jet im in charge of is going down in a populated area, so am i, no matter what. am i a fighter pilot? no.. however, being one of those innocent people myself, enjoying this beautiful life every day, the sunshine, the ground beneath my feet, the rainbow sky above me, i would never save myself knowing that people just like me, the innocent people, would perish while i would live. replying to stepman with this same imaginative feeling, no i do not believe this is similar to a fireman. a fireman goes to a burning house that was not his fault at all, and he was not in control of that house burning, he is taking a chance to save a life, like an emt, here we have a pilot who even though it wasn't his fault, it is his jet and he is flying this jet with his heart and soul relying on it to fly safely and without killing those who are enjoying life below him, and he is choosing to like a coward save his own life, which he values and that is fine, however he should be dying as well just like those innocent people who had no choice to go that day. it's only right, and if you don't see this then you obviously don't see it and you can continue living your life this way.
this makes me feel good to know that i would go out like this, it doesn't make me any more "manly" as someone said. in fact a woman could do this as well, it's not a matter of masculinity or femininity, it's a matter of the soul that lies within you and how you choose to raise that soul . . . nice to hear that you all value your lives though, that is a beautiful thing . . truly . .. alright have a good one then, remember it's only a message board where we share feelings, no need to go apesh*t .
feelsgood, one thing I have learned in my life, including 35 years in the Navy, is that no one really knows what they are capable of until they are actually put in the position of having to do something. As for these pilots, it appears they ejected only a second or two before impact (this will be verified in the investigation). At that point there is nothing the pilots could do to change what happened. Staying with the plane would have changed nothing except to add a couple of corpses to the mess.
I'm glad it make you feel good to know that you would commit suicide (under these circumstances that's exactly what it would be) if you were ever the pilot of a crashing plane. Of course you are safe in saying that because you will never be in that position. Maybe you would and maybe you wouldn't, but we will never know for sure.
Lucky ....
Lucky ....
Lucky ....
Could have been so much worse ....
Good Friday at work .... maybe ....
I know who you are and what you have done.
Sorry if my post is off topic, but the caption under the picture should read "Emergency personnel," not "Emergency personal." I know, I know, it's nitpicking, but I'm an English teacher and my students bring me these kinds of articles all the time, trying to prove that they're right because they saw it in print somewhere.
I hope they don't find any bodies in the rubble, and I hope the injured people recover and get some nice compensation. This will be a cool story to tell their grandkids if nothing else.
@ Berecca: LOL You do realize that now anyone that reads your comment will scroll right back to the top to see if you are right! I think we all know that MSNBC lacks proof reading skills before they go to print.
Yep. Had to check.
The problem with the typo in the photo caption probably originated with the photographer that works for the Associated Press. A British online publication used the same AP photo and the caption had the same typo.
Oops! My bad. Thanks for pointing that out.
They must use the spell/grammar checker from . . .
You never know maybe someone there has personal emergency personnel?
they do not fact check either- Va. Beach is not 400 miles from DC it is closer to about 175 miles!
Berecca, unfortunately not all teachers are as nit-picky (and too many students are lazy), and this is proof.
They changed it.
Such an incredible story! The fact that as far as the story goes, and the amount of time gone by since this happened, that nobody has been seriously injured is just amazing. My hat is off to both the pilots for doing the best they could in such incredible circumstances. By getting rid of as much fuel as they could, truly saved many lives and resulted in far less damage than could have been done. I think one would have to be a pilot to know exactly how it feels to go through something like this. From what I've seen and read, they tried their best to get over the ocean but they just couldn't get the speed and this started from the get-go. In my book the pilots are awesome!
Well-said, AlaskaGirl, and then to read that the one pilot said he was "sorry for destroying the house"... Well, that just shows how he tried to avoid the worst as much as he could. I teared up when I read that.
Considering where they were and how low they were, I doubt they dumped any fuel. Had they done so it probably would have made the situation much worse as far as fires and it would have created a very serious pollution problem.
I agree with you about them trying to get over the water. I am sure they fought it until the very last second.
Please tell me no pets were killed.... :(
Ok, no pets were killed. Although we may have lost a gopher or two in the backyard bbq! LOL
O.K. Heather Barton..no pets were killed....but my grandmother was. Feel better? (sarcasm).
VA Beach isn't 400 miles from DC, probably not even 250 miles.
And the scene of the crash is not 4 miles from the base.....unless you are talking about the opposite/farthest away side of the base. I would say.....more like 2ish miles.
Hey, feelsgoodtobeaman: HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?
Following up:
1. The seats are not "ejected" automatically.
2. Having the "flaps and stabs out" would not prevent the pilot from doing anything. The "stab," short for stabilizer, is not "out." It is either fixed (vertical stabilizer) or controlled for pitch (horizontal stabilator). The flaps can be positioned wherever the pilot requires.
3. Fuel likely was not dumped. It appears things happened very quickly and in the few seconds he had the pilot was occupied with controlling the aircraft and then getting out. If the fuel dump was selected (it only requires repositioning a toggle switch) the aircraft was not airborn long enough to dump fuel of any significance.
4. The F/A 18, like any other plane with a high wing loading does not glide well. But glide it will. And much better than a rock.
unless the FA-18 has been fixed in early 90's they had habit of one engine eating it's self after being FOD'ed tossing pieces thur airframe into other causing dual engine failure,JUst a guess but lookings like that might just be the case here.
When you have engine failure you have no control of the stabs. or flaps (NO HYDRAULICS). If the plane had gained altitude it MIGHT glide, but no control to turn. The witness said they were dumping fuel thus the fire ball was smaller than normal with a full 14,000 lbs. of jet fuel
Give him hell jetjoky...he obviously isn't any kind of respectable man.....what a jackazz!!!!!
My sailor is with this squadron, and yes fuel was dumped. He said it was a full load 12,000 pounds. Living in the middle of the US it makes this mother thank her Lord and Maker every time I get to talk to my son that he is safe. After a day like today I am feeling doubly blessed. And here I worried more when he was on flight deck!
Thank you, Jack Johnson for actually knowing what you're talking about. I'm an AT, but it never ceases to amaze me how people can forget the hyds are dependant on the engines to maintain flight controls. People just assume they can "put the jet in neutral" or something and coast it in, lol! Some people like to spout stuff without actually knowing what they're talking about...
Look, people. Even if the engine has quit it is still rotating. It's rotating due to the airflow through it from the forward movement of the aircraft. And if the engine is rotating then hydraulic pressure is being produced (assuming the function of both independant hydraulic systems are not compromised).
Here is an example: Do you recall the Airbus A320 that went down in the Hudson River a couple of years ago? The plane had ingested several large birds causing failure of both engines. Captain Sully maintained control of the jet and successfully ditched it in the river with no loss of life. He had control of the plane because it was still producing hydraulic power, even after both engines had failed. Why? Because the engines were still rotating.
It is theoretically possible that the engines on this Hornet had stopped rotating due to an immense amount of internal damage, but this is highly, highly unlikely. What's more, the hydraulic system will maintain residual pressure for a short time. That's 3000 psi pressure to start with (or as much as 5000 psi under certain circumstances). And the system has check valves that don't allow the hydraulic fluid to flow backwards either.
If the PF (pilot flying) could not control the plane it likely was not due to a complete loss of hydraulic pressure.
The F/A-18 is a very damage-tolerant aircraft. It's a war plane after all. I'm inclined to think that something highly unusual and perhaps unforseeable occured here. An investigation will likely tell us what it was.
Also, the crew did not dump all of their fuel before crashing. They didn't have nearly enough time to do this. In fact, they couldn't have dumped 5% of their fuel. Dumping fuel takes time. Time they didn't have.
But I don't know what I'm talking about...
feelsgood.....
You are despicable.
I'm glad nobody was killed. Sounds to me like the pilots had the presence of mind to dump the fuel before the plane crashed. That sort of quick thinking saves lives!
It's 200 miles to Va beach from DC
I'm so amazed that there were no fatalities and even more amazed that there were very few injuries reported. What I understand is that there is only one person, one of the pilots, that is still in the hospital.
So if someone was having a BBQ or smoking a cigarette when that jet fuel hit them what would happen? Explosion or nothing much?
Nope, no explosion. It would have put the ciggy out and perhaps the BBQ as well. Believe it or not but jet fuel (JP-5 to be specific in this case) is much less volatile than gasoline.
Kerplow......
The fuel itself may not be as volatile as gasoline Jp4-Jp5 but the Vapors given off like gasoline is very volatile and can be explosive. In crash recovery training I have seen jet fuel explode caused by just a spark between two wires.
nothing much , I have tossed lit cig in JP5 before and it puts it out
Soething I Would Not Do, up to you.
My Grandson and his wife, both of whom are in the Navy lived across the street from the crash site. Both are fine and were at work at Oceana when this happened. Very scary for them I'm sure.They just got married in December. I'm sorry for the injured and wish them a speedy recovery.
I live here in Va Beach not even a block away we have soooo many apartments here on birdnick road and homes. This of happened any where where are near the base. It's crazy because the jets fly over our homes all day and all night and we just go about our day everyday because this is Virginia Beach and the Jets our a part of our life. Not thinking that this could happen and can and it did. How do we go about our everyday now? When the jets fly over our homes agin so thinking i hope that this does not happen agin. I was am still in shock here in VA Beach! But thank you GOD for all the familys here.
I am proud of the residents for pulling thru like a team, and the hornet drivers for there quick thinking. It is amazing we as a people can come to aid each other in a time of need. It is very humbling...
Good job guys, a little collateral damage never hurts. Oh wait, were these people Americans?
This is why tou don't build close to an airport. Most new airports are being built away from population centers for this exact reason. Most accidents occur on take-off or landing. It sounds like the pilot had trouble from the moment of take-off and flew the jet as far as he could. The ensuing investigation will determine what happened. Im glad to see that the injury's were minor and hope that nothing bad comes out of the rest of the search.
I agree with the sentiment Bill but sadly, far too many people and developers will build near airports regardless of the potential danger (very unlikely though the danger may be) and the disruption caused by noise, etc. They see large tracts of open land that they know won't be filled with industry and can't help but want to locate next to it. Then they complain about the noise issues, etc. As a person involved in aviation admin and in community planning I've seen it happen far too often. And I've seen the same issues arise with developments along golf courses. We've enacted some pretty strict aviation-compatibility zoning regulations but even then issues still arise.
Fortunately there have been no deaths so far. Hopefully this remains on the books as a non-fatal accident.
So true Brad! I was on det to Jacksonville, and the local news channel actually posted the base CO's number so residents can call and complain about the loud jet noises. I was flabbergasted! These bases were here first, and it's our duty to stay battle ready at all times, and be ready to go out at a moment's notice and do our job right the first time. The idea that the locals actually call in to complain because we're doing our job is ridiculous! At my own base, there was one resident who called the base CO and told him that he could hear us flying overhead, and THANKED US, because he felt safer (from terrorists) when he heard us flying overhead. Those kind of calls I don't mind :o)
Well Mindy, let me also be one to thank you and other members of the armed forces. You have my eternal gratitude!
As civilians we may occasionally get upset or feel inconvenienced when we get held up to let a military convoy pass, when the police officer gives us a ticket for speeding or when the fire department gets a law passed requiring us to buy and install smoke detectors but they are all really doing what they have to do to protect us and our way of life. No one likes to be told what to do but many of those who complain the loudest about their personal freedom are the first in line for assistance when disaster strikes their family and/or to complain when a neighbor does something they don't like!
mushuluu
You are one sick bird.
It's always tragic when a military jet crashes; and it's even more tragic when it happens over a housing. I really hope, that no one was killed.
However, after 20 years in the Air Force then going back to some of the old bases I was stationed at, I am always amazed at the housing that has been built up around them.
Pilots bust their Azz's to keep the plane from crashing over a populated area. If you haven't been in that situation you don't know if you'll eject or go down with the plane. Saying the pilots should have went down and died is absurd. They waited until just a couple seconds before the crash to eject.
How do we balance the need to housing AND the need for a base that has been there long before the housing? Increase DoD's budget to rebuild in an unpopulated area?
Tiny the real scary part is if that jet had been landing it would have hit a large mall that is in CZ 3 and at lunch time
City is too large for flying mechanically questionable aging fuel bombs low overhead as is evidenced by another crash. Possessions gone, pets burned up, serious injuries with more to come as the debris pile is separated- all for nothing but training corporate war bullies. This is not national defense, but rather national offense.
Dou, you're more than welcome not to buy a house right smack next to the flight line then.Those bases were built there before those neighborhoods were.
Better use of the land would be for commercial or residential. Taxpayers first, tax feeders second.
this was an unfortunate accident. And Dou is unfortunately mentally challenged. I dont evn post much on here but had to. 1st off pilots should eject at the last minute and they did. They even managed to dump the fuel. If engine were dead and the plane wasn't going to turn, no reason to die. Just do the best you can and bail.
2nd. like I said Duo is retarded to think a highly expensive military base that cleared land to exist, should have to move because of the idiocracy of people like himself. It was a blunder to build around a airport when obviously accidents can happen and kill a bunch of people. I'm not even in the military and I dont think they should have to move. Secondly how much do you think it will cost tax payers to move it? Option build new housing residens can move there. Residents scared after accident can go about their lives or move. Housing costs around base should go down dramatically with a live here at your own risk. I actually agree with Duo on disliking organized lethal force. On the other hand if a another countries army actually made it into the homeland which can be done no matter how far fetched you think it is. You'll be begging for military. No pleasing some people dont live next to a bomb!
You can thank the Muslin Brotherhood. They had a sh*t pot load of Lybia's shoulder held surface to air rockets smuggled in by the Mexican drug cartel. Wait and see what they do to the airlines!!!
My condolences to those that lost their property and I hope a full recovery for those injured. My appreciation for the pilots and their skill in directing a crippled aircraft away from what might have been a much worse scenario. My respect to the pilot for apologizing for the damages. Class act, but then they are military and I expect class from the military, much unlike the politicians who screw us and don't have the decency to lay a thank you kiss on us.
A commercial airliner does the same before a low atlitude crash. Enough of the military worship. It's just an extension of the gov't's monoploy on the use of lethal violence.
I always wonder about pets when I see something like this too. Unfortunately I was watching the news and they were interviewing one of the residents who was very upset and crying saying their baby kitty was in there. Was very sad to watch.
Anyone looking for a Miracle? Take a look at this !!
More reason to move these polluted bases away from residential and commerical property. It isn't 1950 in rural Virginia. Move a few of them to Crawford, TX or near Dick Cheney's ranch. Dick is such a bad shot the pilots won't be in any danger when he shoots those clipped wing birds at 20 yards.
DOU you really need know what was there first , Before NAS Oceana was there IT WAS SWAMP.Then Navy drained the swamp for the base due it being remote from population.Va beach is too blame ,they zoned the land and built around the base.Most of Va.Beach was swamp before it was drained off for base.Odd part your slow mind pointed out the fact that in 1950's it was "rural Virginia " People like you are like dumb ones that would call at 3am asking when we where go to stop flying well duh you bought the house and with jet flying over head every couple min you had know that there would be noise.
DOU44 really man are you that foolish, let me guess your one of those that move next too a base and just because you live there now they should close the base and move it.
DOU you really need know what was there first , Before NAS Oceana was there IT WAS SWAMP.Then Navy drained the swamp for the base due it being remote from population.Va beach is too blame ,they zoned the land and built around the base.Most of Va.Beach was swamp before it was drained off for base.Odd part your slow mind pointed out the fact that in 1950's it was "rural Virginia " People like you are like dumb ones that would call at 3am asking when we where go to stop flying well duh you bought the house and with jet flying over head every couple min you had know that there would be noise.
DOU44 really man are you that foolish, let me guess your one of those that move next too a base and just because you live there now they should close the base and move it.
Taxpayers first, tax trough feeders second. Move the stinking base to Crawford, TX and dig a pond for the Navy out in the middle of scrubland.
What's the point of that Dou? You'll just build more houses around THAT base too....
I certainly won't. The Bush scruff house is there, which seems like a great place for toxic military waste and noise.