US F-18 jet crashes in San Diego

[DaveP]

Not related to IT/ICT at all [not least in anyway that affects us] just awful news.

Link: Jet Crashes

This is what that news page is carrying at the moment:

"A US military F-18 fighter jet has crashed into a residential area of San Diego, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said.

'The San Diego Fire Department described the scene of the crash as "a heavily populated area" near Interstate 805.TV footage showed plumes of white smoke rising from several houses. It is not clear if there are any casualties.The jet crashed as it prepared to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and the pilot had ejected, the FAA said.

The crash occurred two miles (3.2km) from the base, it added.Donny James, who was visiting his mother in the area, said the supersonic fighter had been flying at very low altitude."

"It spiralled out of control, just like out of Top Gun, and then it came down," he told CNN.Mr James said he was unable to get closer to the scene because two houses were on fire.

"Both houses were totally engulfed in flames. I saw a pilot walking around and he was dazed. The police were telling everyone to get out of the way," he added.

A spokesman for the San Diego police department, Monica Munoz, said it appeared so far that the only person injured was the pilot.

[PeterW]

Thats pretty bad

[Jiser]

They should remove said training flights from routes over heavily populated areas. Stupid! Specially in military jets. It is lucky this was no commercial with pax flight.

However some never know your under routes, such as in the case of the pam air flight in lockerbie.

[FN-GM]

according to ITV news there was no casualties and no deaths. Apparently the pilot was desperately trying to avoid a school.

[Andrew_C]

3 killed, very sad for those involved; spectacular for the news, but all in all, so what?

How many people are killed on San Diego roads in RTAs every day? Or in gang killings in LA every day?