(F/A-18) Plane crashes in University City (San Diego)

[Sub Atomic]

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

Plane crashes in University City

Authorities are on their way to a neighborhood in University City to investigate the apparent crash of a military plane from which the pilot ejected just a few minutes ago.

There are also reports of a least one home on fire. No reports at this time of any injuries.

Read more: http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/2008/12/plane_crash_in_university_city.html

[frylock]

1. missed the crash..

but can see the smoke from my office window.

[Sub Atomic]

2. Hey neighbor!

I wonder if this will start up the discussion of moving those flights out to the desert (where they belong, IMHO).

[frylock]

3. howdy hi!

i really wish they would. there are so many awesome trails out and around the base. if they opened them up, i could actually ride my bike into work!

[slackmaster]

18. I used to ride horses in the hinterlands of Miramar

There is a lot of open space out there.

[MindPilot]

36. Good to see you here Slack

You were the first person I thought about when I heard about it.

My ex-wife lives in that area, too.

[slackmaster]

37. I just called one of my college buddies who owns a house on Cather

He said the plane hit a house on Huggins (next street over) just six doors away.

[slackmaster]

17. Don't be a NIMBY

The air station was there 50 years before any of those houses were built.

[Sub Atomic]

21. I realize that. But there comes a point where public safety has to be considered.

This isn't the first plane crash at Miramar and it won't be the last. At what point does public safety become paramount?

[slackmaster]

24. The Smart Thing (TM) would have been for that area to have been left as open space

:argh:

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Hi neighbor, you realize that Miramar

was there well before University City and the rest of them, don't you?

When it was built, it was in the boondogles

So yes, lets have that discussion, why we allow housing to be developed under military landing zones and near military bases

[izquierdista]

38. Because the military can move?

It's not like they aren't used to packing their ass up and getting out of town on a moment's notice. Move the military to someplace like China Lake and use Miramar to replace Lindbergh Field. And when China Lake gets built up, let the military move again.

[slackmaster]

39. There is a lot of infrastructure on that base that would make a move problemmatic

Besides all the toxic materials that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up, Mirmar has a pipeline that goes all the way to Long Beach, through which jet fuel is delivered. The large runway is perfect for military use, and there isn't a convenient location that they could just move to.

[izquierdista]

41. Just perfect for commercial use too.

Kind of strange arguments these military apologists use, that leaving the military to sit in their toxic waste dump is preferable to having them make a "problematic move".

Go back and re-read the Third Amendment. It's time to tell the military to get the hell out, go to some unpopulated place to play commandos-and-bad-guys, and limit them to a single digit percentage of the national budget.

[slackmaster]

42. Third Amendment does not apply by any stretch of the imagination

The military has been using the Miramar base since about 1924.

The US Navy did make an attempt to vacate the area in 1954. They offered to sell Miramar to the city of San Diego for $1.00, and back then nobody cared about asbestos or contaminated soil. The city turned down the offer, saying the place was too remote.

I'm proud to be a member of a family of "apologists" for the military BTW. My brother is an up and coming Naval officer. He recently ended a tour commanding a guided missile destroyer.

[izquierdista]

A proud leech

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." --A wise man who tried to warn against giving the military a blank check.

[slackmaster]

46. Better red than dead, eh izquierdista?

:rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. At least he understood the role of the military

oh wait, he served in it, during wartime no less

[CreekDog]

45. that argument (base would need to be cleaned up) has got to be one of the weakest one

think about what you are arguing:

that if the base closed, suddenly it would need to be cleaned up to meet applicable environmental standards.

as if that's a downside.

[slackmaster]

47. OK, as a long-time resident of the area I don't want to see the military leave

The city would just hand it over to developers, who would build more overpriced condos.

[nadinbrzezinski]

49. You sure they can just do that?

And the city wants that to replace Lindberg, that has been the dream for ever. (last ten years)

But the military just cannot move... keep dreaming

And we will continue to move the military as our housing reaches a certain point? Why not restrict housing from certain zones? YOU KNOW how expensive it is to move a damn base the size of Miramar?

And as a long time resident of the area I understand that the MILIATARY has to be someplace, and when they move whole economies do collapse, ask san fran

[izquierdista]

56. An economy dependent on the military

Is not an economy at all. It is a parasite keep alive by exacting tribute.

[villager]

4. how bad does it look?

hoping for the best...

[Sub Atomic]

5. There's not much information out yet.

I'll post more when it's available.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. CNN.com has live video

Plenty devoid of information. Or audio.

[villager]

7. One assumes it was an *unarmed* F-18?

Or is that just an assumption?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Yes, or damage would be a bit worse, methinks

[RL3AO]

12. Bombs are made not to go off unless they are armed

And since it crashed on approach to land, it probably would have already dropped its bombs during training (if it was ever carrying any).

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. And training ones are not even live ones

but full of innert things like oh cement

There is a story about the First Gulf War and a radar truck taken out with traning rounds, as it was parked besides a mosque... hey terminal velocity is terminal velocity

[Sub Atomic]

11. The base is the Miramar Naval Air Station.

They do training flights all the time and they're not armed.

I hate it when they're flying over the 15 freeway because too many idiots slow down and start looking up at them instead of paying attention to driving.

[slackmaster]

20. It's been Marine Corps Air Station Miramar for many years now

:hi:

[Sub Atomic]

22. D'OH!!

[Ian David]

26. I once camped-out on their beach at Silver Strand with a group that got special permission.

It's a beautiful area out there.

[slackmaster]

28. Silver Strand State Beach is one of the best secret spots in the area

Other than slightly higher bacteria levels in the water thanks to proximity to the Mexican border, it's a beautiful place. Especially nice to take a walk on Christmas Day when there is almost nobody there.

[frylock]

57. that's NAS North Island..

no beaches here in Miramar!

[Ian David]

60. Ah, okay. I must have my geography confused. n/t

[margotb822]

61. Actually, it's NAB Coronado

The Amphibious Base where the SEALs train...close though.

[Sub Atomic]

8. Here's a little more

Eyewitness Shelby Lovitt, a senior at University High school, said she heard a loud boom just before noon and then saw a plane go down. She said she also saw someone eject from the plane with a parachute. She ran out into field and saw black smoke and flames.

The school had been put on lockdown and no one is allowed to leave, she said.

Thick, black smoke could be seen rising from an area north of Governor Drive and west of Interstate 805, according to eyewitnesses. That smoke turned white as the firefighting effort began.

Massive traffic jams have snarled traffic in the area, making it difficult for firefighters and police to reach the neighborhood, according to witnesses.

[frylock]

10. not too bad..

all i can see are plumes of smoke, and it looks like the FD got there quickly enough to knock down any flames.

[slackmaster]

19. No reports of injuries or deaths yet

Numerous houses on fire. Live helicopter video on Fox's Web site.

[slackmaster]

16. Me too - If I had gone to lunch when I wanted to, I probably would have witnessed it

I was planning to go to Courtesy Liquor by Regents and Genessee for a sammich.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Did not realize we were neighbors, live in Fashion Valley

And trust me, the teevee view is probably better, since they have ahem choppers

And I could my blessings, as bad as this was, that this didn't happen in military housing

Civlians, good chance they are at work, so nobody will get hurt, housing in the base, its a fifty fity

[slackmaster]

29. My home is in South Park, I work just north of the UTC mall

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. See, we DU local community should just go out for coffee one day

I know this locally owned coffee shop that has Kona as well...

Oh and free wi fi

:-)

[Misskittycat]

40. Sounds good. I'm in North County.

[nadinbrzezinski]

52. So why don't we set a meeintg at a convenient place?

I ma serious

[FreeState]

62. How about Dec 20th at Fashion Valley Mall? Then we could all take part in Light Up The Night

See: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/San+Diego

[FreeState]

34. I work in South Park and live in a canyon by Texas Street overlooking Mission Valley n/t

[trashcanistanista]

13. CNN eyewitness says he saw the plane spiral down

and reports two houses taken out, 2 vehicals on fire. One pilot he reported was unhurt but dazed. There may have been a second pilot. Chemicals are in the air so the area is closed off. It was an FA18 from Miramar.

[RL3AO]

14. Sounds like something went terribly wrong for it to just fall out of the sky.

[FreeState]

15. 9 miles from my house...

Im at work and cant see smoke but I bet I could from home... hope everyone is okay

[bananas]

23. Live coverage on local news channels

http://www.cbs8.com/
http://www.10news.com/
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/

[DS1]

30. Knock knock?

Who's there?


F.


F who?

[mcjackson]

33. was john mccain flying it?

[FarCenter]

35. Was joe lieberman in the back seat?

[warrior1]

44. two people

are reported dead

[RamboLiberal]

43. LA Times reports 2 dead 3 missing

Officials said two people were killed when an F/A-18 military jet about to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar slammed into a San Diego neighborhood today. The pilot was able to eject safely.

A grandmother and two children who lived in a house that was hit are reported missing, officials said. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque confirmed that two people were dead, but no further details were available.

-----

Marine officials told The Times the pilot was part of a training squadron and that he was trying to aim the plane at a deserted canyon to avoid slamming into homes or the nearby 805 Freeway. He had taken off from the carrier Abraham Lincoln several miles off the coast. His destination was the air station.

Jason Whitmer, who was working in the neighborhood, talked to the pilot after he ejected and landed.

“He was pretty shook up," Whitmer said. "And pretty concerned if he had killed anyone. He had seen his bird go into a house.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/12/firefighter-say.html

[tomhayes]

50. He nearly made it to the canyon

I know that area and if it was very close.

[slackmaster]

54. There isn't a lot of canyon between the crash site and the freeway

After the freeway there is a nursery, then the base for a long, long way.

[tomhayes]

55. It depends on how he was coming in

There's a canyon (where the train tracks) are between that development and some aprtments. Further there are a few large parks within 2 blocks of there. If he made it over the 805 he wouldn't of hit that nursery unless he was veering south.

It's always bad when a plane crashes in San Diego becuase the airports are in the middle on developments (no chicken/egg argument form me.)

Here's a nice google map of the area:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4444+Cather+street+san+diego&sll=32.848731,-117.208328&sspn=0.023651,0.036778&ie=UTF8&ll=32.861997,-117.195727&spn=0.0332,0.04549&t=h&z=15

[slackmaster]

58. He was probably shooting for the runway with Rose Canyon as a possible alternative ditch site

If he had made it past the freeway, the damage on the ground would have been negligible even if he hit the nursery.

[mainegreen]

67. "A grandmother and two children". = The military is shitting bricks

and the pilot is probably traumatized for life.

And two childrens' life were stolen.

[Chef Eric]

48. This is our tax dollars at work. (n/t)

[margotb822]

63. Yes, our tax dollars at work. The Marines have been at war

for more than 7 years straight. And, the pilot was flying a plane that could be more than 20 years old. The question is: was the government complicit in this crash by cutting maintenance funding for this plane?

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-18.htm

[tjwash]

53. Was McCain flying it?

:spank:

That was bad, I know.

Looks like 2 people were killed. Could have been a hell of a lot worse considering how densely packed UC actually is. I was going to go up to UTC today and pick up a few things, before I saw the big cloud of smoke and the hovering choppers in the area.

[YvonneCa]

59. Local station, KUSI, just reported...

...pilot ejected and showed location of chute and ejection seat. Says he lost one engine immediately upon leaving USS Abraham Lincoln and was looking to land at Miramar when second engine failed. Says pilot tried to aim for empty canyon area...but ejected when he had no other options. Plane crashed into 2 houses...two believed dead there. More at 6:00 p.m. PST.

[FreeState]

64. Two are missing also according to Union Trib n/t

[YvonneCa]

66. That is awful. So sad. n/t

[maveric]

65. They just announced that a 3rd dead victim was found.

On channel 10/NBC.

[FreeState]

68. Link: Three dead - one missing - as military jet crashes into University City neighborhood

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20081208-1453-bn08plane4.html

UNIVERSITY CITY – Three people were killed when a Marine Corps fighter-bomber crashed on a residential street Monday, sparking fires that destroyed two homes and sent thick black smoke billowing through the neighborhood, prompting evacuations due to concerns about possibly toxic fumes.