Hornet Crash in VA Beach

[Shrek]

Co-worker just got a call from a friend that an F18 Hornet “JUST” crashed near VA Beach Blvd and Great Neck! Nothing on the news yet.

**EDIT** 900 block of Birdneck RD!!!!!

[Superstreet]

Damn. :( Praying for the best! :angel:

[Shrek]

Just heard on the radio it's in the Birdneck RD area!

[mrvette]

Damn. :( Praying for the best! :angel:

:sadangel: Shit, about all we can do man.... :sadangel:

[Superstreet]

Military jet crashes in Virginia Beach | WTVR.com ? Richmond News & Weather from WTVR Television CBS 6 (http://wtvr.com/2012/04/06/military-plane-crashes-in-virginia-beach/)

[Sea Six]

:sadangel:

[Rob]

Next to elementary school

F-18 Crashes and Explodes Next to Elementary School (Updating Live) (http://gizmodo.com/5899790/f+18-crashes-and-explodes-next-to-elementary-school-updating-live)

[RedLS1GTO]

Holy sh*t. :sadangel:

Driven through there many times.

[Joecooool]

When planes go down over population centers, some pilots are heros and stay with their aircraft all the way down to make sure no people on the ground die. When I was a tower chief, I had to write a report on two such people.

Then there are those that don't.

[GB Vette]

I could see the black smoke... :sadangel:

[Bucwheat]

Hope it was spring break at the school.

[xXBUDXx]

When planes go down over population centers, some pilots are heros and stay with their aircraft all the way down to make sure no people on the ground die. When I was a tower chief, I had to write a report on two such people.

Then there are those that don't.

That would have to be a very difficult and humbling report to write.

[Shrek]

Next to elementary school

F-18 Crashes and Explodes Next to Elementary School (Updating Live) (http://gizmodo.com/5899790/f+18-crashes-and-explodes-next-to-elementary-school-updating-live)
No kids there anymore!!:seasix:

That is the old Seatack Elementary School building! The new school house opened down at the other end of Birdneck RD back in 2001.

[RedLS1GTO]

When planes go down over population centers, some pilots are heros and stay with their aircraft all the way down to make sure no people on the ground die. When I was a tower chief, I had to write a report on two such people.

Then there are those that don't.

Was thinking the same thing but don't want to jump to conclusions.

They are no more than a mile from the ocean where it went down. I'm hoping it wasn't something selfish and maybe they bailed at the absolute last instant or at least at a point where there was no control whatsoever.

[GB Vette]

They had just taken off so it looks like they were trying to get it to the ocean...

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17irnxs10374zjpg/xlarge.jpg

[bradc6]

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/gss-120406-jet-crash/gss-120406-jetcrash-02.grid-8x2.jpg

[PLRX]

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/gss-120406-jet-crash/gss-120406-jetcrash-02.grid-8x2.jpg

holy f*ck

Navy jet crashes into Virginia Beach apartments - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57410559/navy-jet-crashes-into-virginia-beach-apartment/)

BREAKING NEWS: NAVY FIGHTER JET CRASHES INTO APARTMENT IN VIRGINIA BEACH 2012 - YouTube

[RedLS1GTO]

They had just taken off so it looks like they were trying to get it to the ocean...

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17irnxs10374zjpg/xlarge.jpg

Just heard from a friend close to the situation that they tried to make it to the ocean, dumped fuel and bailed at the absolute last second as it hit. They didn't just let it fall into people. It was a RAG squadron jet. He hadn't heard what the exact failure was, but it was mechanical (obviously) and not looking like pilot error at the moment.

[ApexOversteer]

Sounds like they waited for the stall to eject. Once it stalled at that altitude, there isn't any "steering it away from people" and zero reason to stay in the aircraft.

There's a fine line between appropriate attempts to regain control, and dying needlessly.

[RedLS1GTO]

Sounds like they waited for the stall to eject. Once it stalled at that altitude, there isn't any "steering it away from people" and zero reason to stay in the aircraft.

There's a fine line between appropriate attempts to regain control, and dying needlessly.

:iagree:

[Kevin_73]

When planes go down over population centers, some pilots are heros and stay with their aircraft all the way down to make sure no people on the ground die. When I was a tower chief, I had to write a report on two such people.

Then there are those that don't.

Bystanders describe rescuing crashed Navy pilot | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/coast-guardsman-describes-rescuing-crashed-navy-pilot)
The article mentions several times that the pilot was still strapped into his seat. The seat is supposed to separate from the pilot in sequence (time depending on altitude and airspeed variables) after parachute deployment. Since he was still strapped into his seat I suspect he didn't punch out until the very last millisecond before impact, and therefore wasn't airborne long enough for the seat separation to take place.

[RedLS1GTO]

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/gss-120406-jet-crash/gss-120406-jetcrash-02.grid-8x2.jpg

Interesting... check out the exhausts on the 2 engines.

Bystanders describe rescuing crashed Navy pilot | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/coast-guardsman-describes-rescuing-crashed-navy-pilot)
The article mentions several times that the pilot was still strapped into his seat. The seat is supposed to separate from the pilot in sequence (time depending on altitude and airspeed variables) after parachute deployment. Since he was still strapped into his seat I suspect he didn't punch out until the very last millisecond before impact, and therefore wasn't airborne long enough for the seat separation to take place.


...and that is why you don't jump to conclusions. :cert:

[CertInsaneC5]

Hope no one got hurt. :sadangel: Hell of a crash there.

[MEC5LADY]

Hope no one got hurt. :sadangel: Hell of a crash there.

:iagree:

[Doug28450]

As a former Navy Pilot who was also an Instructor Pilot I know that from the first flight we were trained to do everything possible to protect the civilian population and property when faced with a situation such as this.

I have no reason to doubt that these two Navy Pilots did that very thing.

[Kevin_73]

As a former Navy Pilot who was also an Instructor Pilot I know that from the first flight we were trained to do everything possible to protect the civilian population and property when faced with a situation such as this.

I have no reason to doubt that these two Navy Pilots did that very thing.

Thank you, and thank you for your service! :flag:

I have read several reports that the plane was seen "dumping fuel" prior to the crash. Do you know if the F/A-18 has the capability to dump fuel?

[Doug28450]

Thank you, and thank you for your service! :flag:

I have read several reports that the plane was seen "dumping fuel" prior to the crash. Do you know if the F/A-18 has the capability to dump fuel?

Thanks.

I just heard the dumping fuel report on the radio. I don't know whether the F/A-18 can dump fuel or not. I would guess that the report is probably correct, but witnesses on the ground can certainly be questionable and it seems that is where the report is coming from.

[Kevin_73]

Thanks.

I just heard the dumping fuel report on the radio. I don't know whether the F/A-18 can dump fuel or not. I would guess that the report is probably correct, but witnesses on the ground can certainly be questionable and it seems that is where the report is coming from.

Yes it was witnesses on the ground making those reports.
I asked the question because, if the F/A-18 does not have the capability to dump fuel, I wonder if the fluid the witnesses saw was the result of a broken fuel line to one of the engines and was the "mechanical malfunction" that caused the crash in the first place?

[navyndi2]

From what one of our guys said that saw it take off, it looked like aa engine failure of some sort, one of the engines was pouring out black smoke on takeoff. We could see the smoke from base, all the natural gas was turned off on base and in the are of the crash. Just got home so haven't seen any of the news yet.

[MrPeabody]

Yes it was witnesses on the ground making those reports.
I asked the question because, if the F/A-18 does not have the capability to dump fuel, I wonder if the fluid the witnesses saw was the result of a broken fuel line to one of the engines and was the "mechanical malfunction" that caused the crash in the first place?

It also sounds odd that they would dump fuel over a populated area.

[navyndi2]

From the news the fire cheif said they did their rough search of all the area buildings and there are no fatalities. 7 injured but still a miracale on good Friday. :angel:

[Vet4jdc]

Our local report here at the beach stated that it was NOTdumping fuel. According to the Navy, the plane suffered a massive mechanical failure causing the fuel to spill out.

[OddBall]

Our local report here at the beach stated that it was NOTdumping fuel. According to the Navy, the plane suffered a massive mechanical failure causing the fuel to spill out.

I'd hate to be the last guy that signed off on that maintenance log

[burtonbl103]

I'd hate to be the last guy that signed off on that maintenance log

Yep bad day

glad no one was killed :)

[boracayjohnny]

I'd hate to be the last guy that signed off on that maintenance log

Yep, even the guy that happened to walk by that aircraft a week ago is gonna be peeing too. :lol:

[Vet4jdc]

won't be surprised to hear the FA-18 Hornets are grounded for a week.

[onedef92]

It's a miracle no one get hurt or even killed!