Posted on 12/10/2008 12:05:41 PM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner
The man who on Monday lost his wife, two daughters and mother-in-law in the San Diego jet fighter crash says he doesn't blame the pilot, who "did everything he could" to avoid the disaster.
Don Yoon, 37, yesterday visited the remains of his home in the suburb of University City. His Cather Avenue house was completely destroyed when a F/A-18D Hornet lost power in both engines while trying to land at nearby Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
The pilot - named as Lt Dan Neubauer of Marine Corps Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 - ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries after coming down in trees. The aircraft ploughed into Yoon's residence, killing his wife Youngmi Lee, 36, the couple's daughters, two-month-old Rachel and 15-month-old Grace, and his mother-in-law, Seokim Kim, 60.
(snip)
At the scene yesterday, Yoon said of Neubauer: "I don't want him to suffer from this accident. I know he's one of our treasures for the country. And I don't blame him, I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could."
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
Having grown up next to an air force base and having seen crashes every few years, I was under the impression the pilot was obligated to stay with the plane til the end if he was over a populated area.
If the plane is unresponsive then that’s suicide.
His career is damaged maybe over.
I went to an elementary school in Houston that was named for an Air Force pilot who rather than eject and risk the aircraft from crashing into the residential neighborhood, stayed with the plane and crashed it into an empty field.
Of course all crashes are different as to how an aircraft may or may not respond in a crash situation.
I think that is the variable — depends on how the plane is malfunctioning. If there is no way to control it, then he did what was right. I have been praying for the man whose family was killed, tho. How tragic.
Was this incident re-told in a Robert Duvall movie? Can’t remember the name.
A true AMERICAN who knows the value of our brave military men and women, and that our military jets flying over produce the "Sound of Freedom".
God bless him and his family.
Democrats could learn something from this good man.
May God be with him.
Define "end".
Apparently both engines had failed. The F18 has the glide capabilities of a rock and when you lose thrust, you lose all control. Once the plane picks out it's own landing spot, it's time to bail. He could have played with the controls for a few more seconds, but that plane still would have landed exactly where it did.
Not sure if they made a film about this guy who now that I looked it up was in the Texas Air National Guard.
On March 16, 1961, Captain Gary L. Herod of the 182nd Fighter Inspector Squadron, Texas Air National Guard had just taken off from Ellington Field. While flying alone in his jet aircraft over the City of Houston, he experienced complete engine failure.
Captain Herod patiently realized that if he ejected himself from the aircraft to save his own life, the jet aircraft would, in all probability, crash into the homes below with catastrophic loss of life and property. Captain Herod remained with his aircraft to guide it through an overcast sky to crash beyond densely populated Houston. In doing so, he heroically sacrificed his life.
Captain Herod’s actions were in entire disregard of his person, and in the finest traditions of the Texas Air National Guard and the United States Air Force he so gallantly represented.
http://es.houstonisd.org/herodes/About_Herod/Our_Hero.htm
Again, we do not know the details of both crashes but I hope the guy in SD did all he could to the very end to prevent the plane from crashing into a populated area.
Yes.
But there was a day when a Naval aviator would stay with the plane and try EVERYTHING in his power to keep it out of a populated area, even if it meant his own death.
Lonesome Dove?
You might be thinking of “The Great Santini.”
}:-)4
Ever been out to Miramar? The whole area around the base is a populated area.
Here's another shocker for you - in the Navy the captain really isn't required to go down with his ship.
The pilot is expected to take all possible steps to avoid civilian injuries but it isn't a suicide billet.
The Great Santini.
BS. You’ll find that even in your mythical days of glory in an emergency that has the plane dropping out of the sky most pilots were doing everything they could to try to save their airplane and their own skins. In most cases reports of a pilot intentionally avoiding populated areas are unsubstantiated and probably mythical. The last words out of most of their mouths was probably “Oh Snap”, not “I must look for a way to save the innocent below.”
No, but I grew up in Virginia Beach, near Oceana Naval Air Station. At ONE time it wasn’t very populated, but now.... WOW!
Whatever you say.
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.