San Diego F-18 crash 'avoidable'

[sky's the limit]

Hey Nark,

What are you hearing down there? Article got this right? What's the layout of the area? Was that other airfield a viable option?

stl




San Diego jet crash 'avoidable'



Mechanical breakdowns compounded by human error led to the crash of a US marine jet in December that killed four people on the ground, the marines said.

The jet was having engine problems and attempting to land at Miramar air base in San Diego when it crashed.

Four marine officers have been relieved of duty for allowing the disabled jet to fly over a residential area.

The jet should have attempted a landing at another base with an approach over water, marine investigators said.

Nine other marine personnel have received lesser reprimands, the Associated Press (AP) news agency said.

A member of the US House of Representatives briefed by the marines on the accident told AP the crash could have been avoided.

'Complex emergency'

The F-18 fighter jet destroyed two houses in suburban San Diego after the pilot ejected out of the aircraft when it lost power approaching Miramar air base.

Four members of one family were killed, including two babies, their mother and their grandmother, who was visiting from South Korea.

The right engine of the plane gave out with an oil leak shortly after it took off from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln on a training flight, marine Col John Rupp told a news briefing.

Instead of opting to land at Naval Air Station North Island, on the tip of a peninsula in San Diego Bay, the pilot attempted to make it to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station - several miles inland with residential communities nearby.

North Island is approached over water and there are fewer buildings to hit if things go wrong. Air traffic controllers told the pilot three times that he was cleared to land at North Island, flight tapes released by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed.

As the jet approached Miramar, its other engine failed and the pilot safely ejected.

"These malfunctions in combination presented the pilot with a complex emergency that was compounded by a series of well-intentioned but incorrect decisions, both inside the cockpit and in the squadron's ready room," said Col Rupp.

The pilot has been grounded while Marine officials decide whether to discipline him.

Four senior officers have been relieved of duty - meaning they will probably not be promoted.

Nine other marines have received less career-damaging reprimands.

[grimey]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 7853.story

The pilot was told by the carrier's captain and the boat's "air boss" to immediately land at North Island Naval Air Station on Coronado, which was closer and would have allowed an approach over water. The same instructions were given by a civilian air-traffic controller tracking the plane's flight.

Instead the pilot, and his squadron bosses at Miramar, decided to attempt an emergency landing at Miramar, which meant a west-to-east path over the densely populated University City neighborhood, including houses and a school.

...

The F/A-18, nicknamed the Hornet, is designed to fly on one engine in cases where the fighter jet might be damaged by enemy fire and need to return to a carrier or land base. Still, landing at North Island was the "prudent" decision and should have been followed, investigators found.

[sky's the limit]

Interesting.

The lawsuit on this one is going to be enormous....


Thanks Grimes.

stl

[Nark]

Sorry dude, it wouldn't be prudent for me to talk about it.

Although I found this on the web:

http://www.cbs8.com/global/story.asp?s=9936720

[swordfish]

Part of nark's signature:

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

(Who desires peace, let them plan for war)

Fighting for peace is like f***ing for virginity.

[Skyhunter]

peace through nuclear superiority... (for those that need it explained... that is not sarcasm!), If you want piece, have a bigger club than your potential enemies and make sure they know you will use it if you need to and they will leave you alone.

Good quote Narc even if I am slow on my Latin.

[swordfish]

deleted...that was meant to be a PM....sorry

[B-rad]

Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity.

No it's not. Not at all.

Fucking for virginity may sound like a clever cliche for you but it is not the same thing.

[swordfish]

Effectiveness and long-term resolution is what we're after...

[Phillips66]

What a story. Any one of us could have made that decision to eject. And some have kids at home.

[oldncold]

after reading the 'comments' in the link, provided by nark

it does ones soul good to know that av canada is not the only site that people trash each other.

[canwhitewolf]

avweb article and comments

http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/AvWe ... 908-1.html