I was just about to post this topic, myself. Thanks for doing it. I wish more information was given.
Heads up.
Military Plane Down Near Athens
Web Editor: Ian Stinson
Last Modified: 7/31/2003 12:43:34 PM
The Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office tells 11Alive that a plane has gone down near Lexington, Ga.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirms that it was a military plane that crashed just before noon Thursday. The plane went down near Highway 78 and Highway 22.
11Alive has learned the plane was a Navy S-3 Viking out of Jacksonville, Fla. The pentagon confirms there were two people on board, both ejected from the plane.
The S-3 is a carrier-based, fan-powered aircraft built by Lockheed Martin in California. It is designed for a four-man crew.
Lexington is near Athens Georgia.
Stay with 11Alive News for updates
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=34752Military jet crashes in Oglethorpe County
By Lee Shearer
lee.shearer@onlineathens.com Police and emergency workers from at least four counties are combing a remote area of Oglethorpe County this afternoon after a military aircraft went down in the area about 11:30 a.m.
Both pilots of the S-3 Viking jet (file photo of jet shown above) from Sea Control Squadron 24 ejected safely before the crash and were unhurt, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Navy at about 1 p.m.
The names of the air crew were withheld "pending notification of next of kin,'' according to the release.
The multi-purpose, $27 million plane which can be used as a tanker, for surveillance and other purposes, had taken off from the Jacksonville Naval Air Station at about 9:15 a.m. and was lost to radar at 11:19 a.m., according to the Navy release. The crew was on a routine training mission.
The crash was first reported at about 11:30 a.m., when a quarry worker called Oglethorpe County 911 to report seeing the plane going down and smoke rising from the area, off the Veribest Road near the Vesta Community, near the Elbert County line, said Sue Wall, 911 director.
Besides Oglethorpe law officers and emergency medical workers, the Oconee, Clarke, Greene and Madison sheriff's departments sent officers to assist in search and rescue, along with the Georgia Forestry Commission, the state Department of Natural Resources and Athens Regional Medical Center.
As of about 1:30 p.m., Walsh had received an unconfirmed report that the pilots had been in contact with the Navy -- later confirmed by the Navy press release -- but there had not yet been a report of finding the downed aircraft.
So far, the cause of the crash is unknown, according to the Navy.
From www.onlineathens.com