We lost a F-4B (VMFA-122) shortly after takeoff from El Toro. They were over La Jolla and apparently headed out over the water, on fire. Neither the pilot or RIO ejected, though they were seen from the ground to be at least a few thousand feet. No one knows why they did not eject, or if they kept heading out to sea to avoid the town.
I recall the cause of the fire was thought to be the bleed air to the wings did not shut off after flaps retracted. Think that was a F-4 problem that caused a few other crashes, but I was Ordnance, what do I know.......
Spent that night patrolling the beaches of La Jolla with the OOD, guy named Winklebrandt, to watch for and protect any remains that might wash ashore. That stuff hits a squadron hard.
This is why it is drilled so strongly to just get out. Guys start thinking of their careers, whether they will be blamed, grounded and sacked, all in the course of a few seconds.
There is a stigma. If you crashed an airplane, who the hell wants to fly next to you, next time round? Pilots are human, nobody likes to screw up. From the calls I am getting, it is starting to look like the famous Hornet F404 compressor stall. The blues get the oldest equipment in the fleet, so it would not be surprising. When one of those engines goes, it generally takes the hydraulics with it.
This is still just speculation, but this is what is being looked at.