BREAKING Fighter jet crashes into Virginia Beach suburbs demolishing at least five buildings

[snagglepuss]

snip

A Navy F-18 fighter jet has crashed into the suburbs of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Navy confirms, slamming into condos, town houses, and a retirement community, according to witnesses.

The two crew members ejected from the jet and were taken to a nearby hospital, but it is not yet known if there are any civilian casualties.

News footage showed smoke rising from numerous homes and the flaming wreckage lying on the ground.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126223/Virginia-beach-plane-crash-F-18-hits-apartment-building.html#ixzz1rHmy7Ava

[Aerows]

1. I hope everyone is okay

That's terrible. I remember when I lived in the New Orleans and that plane went down in residential Kenner. It was terrible.

[frylock]

5. we had a similar incident here in san diego a few years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_San_Diego_F/A-18_crash

[abelenkpe]

2. Yikes!

Hope everyone is OK

[DevonRex]

3. Thank you I have family within a 10 miles of Oceana.

This scared the fucking shit out of me until I read your link.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Hard to tell but it looks like maybe ...

the jet crashed between buildings and most of the damage was from the fireball, not the impact. Particularly, those two buildings with missing roofs look they were burned off -- if so, casualties could be much lower than from a direct hit.

Hoping so, not proving it so.



ON EDIT: from the article, it sounds like they may have struck one roof before crashing. Sounds like one pilot/copilot was still in the plane ?!? but survived. Still sounds like it could have been much, much worse.

FURTHER EDIT: Reports are the pilot dumped fuel -- sounds like he kept his cool and did what he could to minimize casualties.

[emsimon33]

6. Here is an update from WAVY TV in the area

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/military-plane-crashes-in-virginia-beach

Given the City Council's permitting developers to develop high density properties right up to the edge of NAS Oceana, it is a miracle that this doesn't happen more often.

My prayers go out to the pilots and those who have lost their homes.

[aspieextrodinare]

7. These pilots will do everything they can to make sure everyone is safe

but even still it is amazing that no one was even seriously hurt, not to mention killed.