Navy jet crashes into apartments in Virginia

cnn.com ^ | April 6, 2012 | Mike Ahlers and Barbara Starr

[Free ThinkerNY]

(CNN) -- A Navy jet crashed Friday into some apartments near Virginia Beach, Virginia, sending flames and thick black smoke into the air, a military spokesman and a witness said.

Two apartment buildings were on fire, CNN affiliate WTKR reporting, citing witnesses.

The jet was from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The crew of the two-seater F/A-18 safely ejected, but their condition wasn't known, a Navy spokesman said.

The plane is from a training squadron, the Navy said.

George Pilkington, an eye witness to the crash, said he was the plane flying low, with its nose up and tail down, ejecting fuel -- which struck him as unusual. The engine was straining, he said.

[Shamrock498]

no problem. Thanks, I appreciate your response. I agree with you. Each situation is going to be different and the pilots just do their best.

[driftdiver]

Most pilots will stay with the plane long enough to insure it doesn’t land on people. However in many cases the pilots lose all ability to control the aircraft.

If they can’t control it why would they ride it in to their deaths?

[SZonian]

Which also means they probably had little altitude.

Leaves practically no margin for error or time for action.

Thanks,
SZ

[Erik Latranyi]

What ever happened to editors?

Just be thankful they didn't alter the quote to this:

George Pilkington, an eye witness to the crash, said the pilot was black -- which struck him as unusual.

[Vroomfondel]

ping

[GIANTSBEATPATS]

Tail down nose up

Classic stall configuration

[srmorton]

Yet more reminders that even without actual combat there are hourly heroics and sacrifices made by our military.

Your last statement is SO correct! I live in Jacksonville,NC, which is home to CampLejeune MCB and New River Air Station. Our community knows all too well the sacrifices made every day by our military - whether they are at home or deployed. The liberals probably think that it is a waste of time and resources for them to "practice" so much, but that is the reason that they can perform so well in combat situations. They have trained so well that they do their jobs without even thinking. A case in point is the recent story or a soldier who was killed saving a young Afghan girl who was about to be run over by a large military vehicle. He acted instinctively without regard to his own personal safety.

[ArmstedFragg]

Updraft from that hot air Dick Durbin’s spewing today.

[TangoLimaSierra]

My son is stationed there. Had a few anxious moments till he texted me back.

[ArmstedFragg]

On of the TV reporters just said, “right now we’re trying to effort the VDOT”. Say what???

[New Jersey Realist]

What the F are all of you talking about editors? This is a tragegy and half of you morons are talking about editors. I don’t understand. Please explain.

[Don@VB]

VDOT Virginia Department of Transportation

Incidently, my business is 3 blocks from the jet crash site.

[diogenes ghost]

Fox News reporting the aircraft was an F-18 Delta Super Hornet.Well, if it was, it wasn't. Cannot be both.

F-18D's are Hornets. Super Hornets are E/F/G models, considerably newer and larger than Hornets.

Also, the location of both pilots indicates a very low ejection, probably stuck around until they ran out of altitude, control, or ideas...probably all three.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Not a whole lot of time to think.

(http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/08/500x_canadian_air_show_ejection.jpg)

[tenger]

used to live a block from the crash site. Steering it away from populated area would have been straight ahead into the ocean. Problem with that is that there would have been any number of hotels in the path along the beach.

[Lazamataz]

What the F are all of you talking about editors? This is a tragegy and half of you morons are talking about editors. I don’t understand. Please explain.

Maybe editors screwed up the training manuals?

[eccentric]

I had the same thought and question.

[intheheartland]

Tail down nose up

Classic stall configuration

F/A-18's are capable of about a 55 degree angle of attack in level flight at very low air speeds. It would not be unusual to see this occur if the pilot is trying to keep it in the air long enough to dump as much fuel as possible. I would assume that this was the pilot's intention.

[ArmstedFragg]

The VDOT part I understood. It's the “trying to effort” I was commenting on.

I've had that “near miss” feeling a few times myself. I'd say a little discreet celebrating is in order tonight.

[caww]

A speaker, who is a pilot, said they were about a mile and half from where they took off to where they crashed......so just seconds to make decisions on what to do...wonder how fast this jet was going?....obvious the pilot had no where to go in such short time.

The pilot speaking said the pilot did the right thing.