- Thread starter
- #21
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
According to the early reports he lost an engine after take off - was on his way into Miramar when he lost his second engine.
F-18 Crashes In San Diego
- Thread starter FLYBOYJ
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
evangilder
"Shooter"
Not a whole lot you can do with no engines. I can't imagine the F-18 has much of a glide slope.
- Thread starter
- #23
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Considering it took out 2 houses i think it came down like a lawn dart. Very lucky there weren't more people killed!
Messy1
Master Sergeant
I agree FlyboyJ, I was surprised it only took out 2 houses. I saw a few pictures and the houses in that neighborhood are not spaced too far apart. Very lucky more were not hurt. I think all 3 dead were from the same house.
Freebird
Master Sergeant
I wonder if he realized he couldn't make it, and "nosed down" right at the end so that it would do just that. If he came in obliquely he could have taken out a dozen.
Might be a good idea not to have houses so close to the runway, if that's the case.
SoD Stitch
Banned
Well, the runway was there first, not the houses; but you're right, they probably shouldn't have built so many houses on the approach to the runway.
Yeah, either he pushed the stick over right before he ejected, or he was so low and slow anyway (he was on final) that when he lost the second engine (and his only source of power) the a/c simply stalled out and landed in a relatively flat configuration; I'm guessing the a/c stalled out right after the second engine failed. He probably had about one or two seconds to realize his second engine wasn't turning anymore, then punched out; at that altitude, you don't have much time to play around, you either get out of the a/c in a hurry, or you go in with it.
- Thread starter
- #27
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Say that to the greedy developers - that base been there since the 40s.
evangilder
"Shooter"
I heard the press conference with the man who owned one of the houses. He lost his wife, 2 kids and mother-in-law. It was heart-wrenching to hear him. But he harbors no ill feelings toward the pilot, thankfully.
If houses shouldn't be near runways, then someone needs to tell the zoning boards so they can deny the greedy developers.
If houses shouldn't be near runways, then someone needs to tell the zoning boards so they can deny the greedy developers.
Certainly a heart wrenching tragedy but one component of longevity is minimizing your risks. Everybody living near the airport knows they're at a greater risk. I'm sure the houses were cheaper. They know that aircraft occasionally fall from the sky and your risks are greater near a runway.
I dont believe the zoning board or the contractors are even a tiny bit culpable!
If you live in the Gulf Coast, you're at risk for a hurricane.
If you live along a earthquake fault, you are at risk for earthquakes.
If you live next to a runway... guess what.
Life is a gamble, minimize your risks by not raising a family next to a runway unless it's a gamble your prepared to take.
.
Very sad....
Glider
Captain
We had a similar case a number of years ago close to where I live. The plane reported serious engine problems at night and in the middle of a very large housing estate he hit the only retail premises, a car showroom, for some distance. No one was killed apart from the pilot.
There could be little doubt that he chose the spot.
evangilder
"Shooter"
Unfortunately, once you hit the eject button, you have no control over where it goes. Granted inertia and energy will have some influence, but I have heard of aircraft turning after a bailout. Not a good thing. We had an F-111 go down in Newmarket while I was there and it was described as a "miracle" where it hit. There was a U shaped area that had no buildings and it hit smack dab in the middle of that area. 10-20 feet either direction would have been a disaster.
- Thread starter
- #33
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
While I couldn't agree more, you have a lot of developers, especially in So Cal that will try to develop homes in places that they know will cause problems (airports, freeways, military bases) but could care less about the final impact - case in point, my old hometown, Palmdale. Plant 42 is a huge production facility, with Lockheed. Martin, Boeing and Northrop/Grumman having facilities there. Not only vital to this country, the facility is a major employment source for the community. Since the late 1980s developers have been encroaching on the facility with people stupid enough to buy property a stone's throw away from the main runways, then complain about the jet noise. I've been to a city counsel meeting where several of these folks were almost tared and feathered, but as the AV grows, more and more of these morons will move up from LA - another reason why I left the place.
This is one example, I could go on with other airports in the same boat (Santa Monica, Torrance, Van Nuys, even LAX)
evangilder
"Shooter"
Camarillo is starting to get encroached on as well. Developers plan even more housing development near the airport. Not like more houses are needed in this current economy...
if i found "The Perfect House" and the little lady was in love with it but the only reason we could afford it was that it was on approach would we buy????
I honestly cant say... perhaps a roll of the dice is worth a beautiful home when an ideal home is normally out of reach.
.
I honestly cant say... perhaps a roll of the dice is worth a beautiful home when an ideal home is normally out of reach.
.
davparlr
Senior Master Sergeant
I don't think it applies in this case, but, I think, its been a long time, we were told that if we were in trouble with the possibility of ejecting, try to find an uninhabited area (not hard to do in Oklahoma) and roll in a little aileron trim before you go. It keeps the aircraft from wandering around on its own.
Got a similar situation here in Pa. Brandywine Airport has land adjacent to it that has been purchased by a developer to build (your gonna love this)....
A RETIREMENT HOME! YEA! Old People and Airplanes! I can imagine the West Chester, Pa are just loving the moment that place opens up. Phone will be ringing off the hook with complaints.
Brilliant, just brilliant.
A RETIREMENT HOME! YEA! Old People and Airplanes! I can imagine the West Chester, Pa are just loving the moment that place opens up. Phone will be ringing off the hook with complaints.
Brilliant, just brilliant.
- Thread starter
- #38
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Ever hear of this one...
"An F-106 of the 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, piloted by Gary Faust, entered a flat spin over Montana on February 2, 1970. Faust followed procedures and ejected from the aircraft. The resulting change of balance caused the aircraft to stabilize, and it landed wheels up in a snow-covered field, suffering almost no damage. The aircraft was then sent back to base by rail, repaired and returned to service."
evangilder
"Shooter"
I agree in this case, especially with both engines out, that plane was only headed downward in a big hurry. But there are times when you have no choice but to get the heck out of the airplane and control is no possible. In some, but definitely not all, cases, the aircraft will go where it wants to.
SoD Stitch
Banned
I read a very amusing article in Smithsonian Air Space magazine a while back (I can't find it now, of course) where a pilot ejected from his a/c near the airport (military) and, apparently, the a/c was trimmed perfectly; when he ejected, the a/c continued to fly around the airport in a circle, maintaining a constant altitude, until it finally ran out of fuel and crashed.
