Comments on: F-18 Crashes into San Diego Neighborhood

By: sean

sean — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:37:49 +0000

it hink your wrong about fallugaj iraq the marine corps did not conjure it up

By: PSHJ

PSHJ — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:28:22 +0000

My comment to those who feel the military should not have bases near populated areas: How many people were killed in San Diego as a result of the Sept 1978 mid-air collision of the PSA airliner and the Cessna 172? How many residences were damaged or destroyed? Now, how many civilians have been killed as a result of military aircraft accidents from NAS North Island or MCAS (formerly NAS) Miramar? Any aircraft flying over a populated area can cause damage or loss of life. It is sad, but it is reality. Homes are built in flight paths, and people buy them. The risks are there, and people know that.
For those who feel the pilot should have “gone down with his plane,” you people make me very sad. You didn’t even know the reasons for the plane going down, and you were making comments of this nature. As well, to state that it would have been better that the pilot died, too? Seriously, what is wrong with you? Do you think his family and friends feel that way? Or do you think they are just relieved that he was able to make it out of a crippled and uncontrollable aircraft? This man made a choice based off of years of training (don

By: j.e.rogan

j.e.rogan — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:17:08 +0000

Perhaps a set of cables and quick filling helium
ballons are the answer to a jet losing both
engines. Seems like fuel starvation or flying
past a “no return point” caused this disaster.
Pilot did what he could but lets investigate the
Captain and those who sent him off the Nimitz…
as usual the facts of the disaster are not
released to the Public but sweept under the rug
to protect a high ranking Naval Officer. The Press
was not aware of the Nimitz as it plowed west from
San Diego. They ususally know approximately where
the ship is located and if it poses a threat to the USA.

By: afairman

afairman — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:56:00 +0000

As all the others have said, the pilot of the F/A-18 had made the correct decision for the situation presented to him. Cause if my sources are correct any pilot that is trained in any U.S. Military service is tought that they do not eject unless it is absolutly needed, especially if it is over a populated area. Cause as stated before the services invest a ton of money into the training of our pilots, why should we lose one when we ont need too…I personally want to tell him that he should have nothing to worry about, you did the right thing! And a pilot is trained to andle almost every situation presented to them in some way or another, plus ejection is considered a last resort.
Signed, afairman
P.S.- God Bless America and Our TROOPS…
Lets keep up the good work, hooah!

By: MD

MD — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:26:36 +0000

This was a tragic accident. To all of you that are all about hating on the military right now its to bad that all of our men and women that are in the military give you guys the freedom to run your mouth like you do. Calling him a coward by all means why dont you guys join the military since you would make “better” choices!

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:23:13 +0000

This accident saddens me for two reasons.
1.) Three people were killed. That is tragic to the families of those who did and you can’t help but feel for them.
2.) Folk who are not in the military, are not pilots (either military or civilian) criticize the Hornet’s pilot and the military in general. Comments like this one from another site:
“This is ridiculous! Bailing out of that plane should NOT have been an option for that pilot. Protocol demands that he should’ve done everything in his power to touch down/crash land in a non-populated area using every amount of control that was left to him. 3 homes destroyed, and a Grandma and kids slain by this kind of incompetence is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE and measures should now be taken to prevent this from happening again. I can’t tell you how bad I feel for those families who lost loved ones because of whatever happened. And does it matter if it was a mechanical failure or pilot incompetence? NO! There’s plenty of desert available for the flyboys to do their thing. Yes, they’re doing their job. Yes it’s important. But, no, we should not become victims of a disaster like this if it could’ve been avoided. Whatever happened to the Captain going down with the ship? That applies to more than boats. Utterly appalling! Say a prayer for the victims and cut the jokes.“
People, like the one I just quoted, are laymen to the field of aviation: particular military aviation. Such people make non-sensical suppositions as to what the pilot should have done or point out what he

By: fan boy

fan boy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:54:29 +0000

i was amazed at what a non-condemning attitude the father of the family that was killed had after this crash

By: krieger

krieger — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:33:46 +0000

Justareader, you can’t place the blame fully on the shoulders of the military. MCAS Miramar has been there longer than any of those house or even the freeway. The buyers of those homes and the builders knew the risk of living near a military air base and under a military flight path. Why does the military have bases near major cities I can only guess. One would be because they have been there longer than expanding residential areas, two the location is an ideal place, three money, it does cost alot of money to relocate 10,000 Marines, their family, gear and planes to a remote base in the mountains or Sierra Nevada and its not practical. The military has been in San Diego long before San Diego transformed into the major Southern California city it is today, why should the military relocate? Because of one accident and because homeowners don’t like the sounds of jets landing and taking off? Homeowners should not buy homes near air bases if sound is one of their main concerns and they find it un safe.

By: krieger

krieger — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:21:13 +0000

Bob, I will say this once more the Marine Corps along with the United States Navy is the nation’s Quick Reaction Force. That is why we use MEUs and MEBs for, quick, strategic and devastating military action. I cannot make my point any more simple. The Marine Corps is basically the nation’s shock troops. It is not that hard to figure out. What debacle? Desert Storm was a resounding victory. The Marine Corps is not a support based service they are combat troops. Their objective is to defeat the enemy quickly and effectively, and for the past 233 years they seem to a pretty good job at that. You call the Corps ineffective after both engines on a Hornet go out and four people die in a ACCIDENT. If you want to call that the Corps’ fault maybe you should tell the government to increase the Corps’ funding seeing as they are the lowest funded of all the services including the Coast Guard. Did you really just call Khe Sanh fake? If so, that only shows the true nature and depth or your ignorance. Tell me have you ever heard of the Tet Offensive? Did you take American History at all or have you read a military history ever in life? Just be honest.

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:45:23 +0000

This was a tragic accident. It wasn’t a “murder.” —- Miramar was there decades before these houses were built. — The pilot wasn’t burning fuel at low altitudes; both his engines died on him. The plane went down like a rock. — There is no honor in riding that rock down. It sounds like the pilot did the honorable thing and ejected at the last minute. There is a good chance he has a family and children. Making his children fatherless is not honorable. — I suggest you take some flying lessons before you make such bold comments. — This was a sad day in San Diego. Let’s remember that. I am sure the pilot feels terrible just like the engineer on a train feels when someone jumps in front of the train. Don’t jump to a conclusion before you know all the facts. He and or his family and friends may very well be reading what we all wrote.