Posted on 05/23/2015 9:53:32 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
A military plane has gone off the runway at Naval Air Station North Island into the San Diego Bay, officials confirmed Friday.
A Navy pilot, flying in a T-45C aircraft, overshot the runway while landing during a training exercise at 2 p.m. (5 p.m. ET) a Navy spokesman said.
The pilot was able to eject from the aircraft before it ran into the water. According to Harbor Police, a civilian boater pulled the crew member out of the water.
After being evaluated at UC San Diego Medical Center, the pilot was released and is in stable condition, Navy officials said. When a pilot ejects from a plane, Lt. Reagan Lauritzen told NBC 7 that he or she must have more thorough medical evaluations than a standard checkup.
According to Naval Air Forces, the pilot was training to undergo aircraft carrier landing qualifications before the crash.
The T-45C plane, assigned to Training Squadron 9 in Mississippi, is a two-seat jet used specifically for Navy training. The $17 million aircraft is made by Boeing and BAE Systems, according to a Naval technology website.
The incident happened off the Coronado base's runway 29, near downtown San Diego. For hours, the aircraft sat floating in shallow water against a sea wall.
By Friday evening, crews stationed a crane on the shore and hooked lines underneath the submerged aircraft. They were able to hoist it onto land as night started to fall.
While most of the plane appears intact, the canopy did fly off.
The crash grabbed witness Sean Brady's attention when he heard a large boom.
"So we came around the corner and looked outside and I saw a parachute landing in the water," he said.
His first thoughts went to the pilot. "It was good to see the parachute, and you're just hoping he's OK," said Brady.
The Naval Air Forces said a safety investigation has been launched to find out why the pilot went off the runway.
In 2004, the base experienced a similar crash when an F-18 pilot was unable to stop the jet and rolled it past the airfield, into the bay. According to the U-T San Diego, the pilot was pulled from the water unhurt.
>>While most of the plane appears intact, the canopy did fly off.
Journalists! LOL. I’m sure the pilot was happy that the canopy “flew” off.
BTW, reporter....its also missing a seat!
That pilot might not want to fly off carriers.
It will be interesting to see how this works out. That particular aircraft normally doesn’t have an issue stopping. Very impressive braking system.
Or at least not try to land on one.
It is a two seater plane. Time for some tinfoil.
pilot male or female?
I’m guessing he might already be a “former pilot”...
His career as a naval pilot is likely finished though, something at this point he might not be too upset about.
How long is the runway? Do they need a longer one?
I remember an old retired Air Force Colonel once told me that a lot of Air Force Bases had long runways due to the B-36.
...land long and hot, it would seem a simple thing to add power and GO AROUND especially when there is a bay at the end of the runway. First reaction. Maybe we will hear what the problem was and maybe not, since the accident investigation results may be a while in coming and will be old news.
You break it, you bought it.
I'm guess the investigation will show there was nothing wrong with the aircraft.
This being said, the guys and gals who fly jets off aircraft carriers and the helicopter pilots who land on destroyers and cruisers are doing jobs that I wouldn't do for any amount of money. As an aviation ordnanceman, I've got to see them do their jobs a lot and have nothing but the highest respect for naval pilots.
Yeah. I knew a guy whose canopy didn't - The Man Who Rode The Thunder, Lt. Col. William H. Rankin, USMC (ret)
That pilot might not get a chance to fly again......
I like to introduce your new laundry and morale officer!
Fly again?
It depends . . . partly on facts, and partly on parentage. Annapolis grad with a dad in the Brass? he’s Okay. Poor kid who did it the hard way,? . . . he’s outta here!
Oldplayer
It worked pretty well for McLame, didn’t it? That fool cost the taxpayers some dough.
Gives new meaning to the term "washed out".
Thinking of a certain Senator from AZ, perhaps?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.