F/A-18 training flight. Pilots(2) ejected and reported alive. No report civilian casualties as yet.
Posted on 04/06/2012 9:53:59 AM PDT by pgkdan
No other details as yet. Just reported as an emergency blurb on local radio. Prayers requested for all affected!
A Navy F-18 out of NAS Oceana has crashed into an apartment comp0lex in Virginia Beach VA at the intersection of Birdneck Rd and I 264.
Yikes! Prayers indeed.
Yikes! Fill us in when you can, please...
Dear Lord, be with all involved.
One of my co-workers wife works in the area. She was driving towards the area and sees smoke and tons of emergency vehicles. Still not clear on what was hit.
Navy jet reportedly crashes in Virginia
DEVELOPING: A reported Navy jet crashed near a major road in Virginia Beach Friday, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
Emergency crews from the military, Virginia State Police and Virginia Beach police are all responding to the scene of the crash, a Virginia Beach Police spokesperson told WAVY-TV.
Virginia Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed black smoke rising from the Birdneck Road area of Virginia Beach at 12:30 p.m. local time.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/06/navy-jet-reportedly-crashes-in-virginia/#ixzz1rHRajTW5
Two apartment units at least are engulfed in flames.
Both pilots ejected safely.
Mayfair Muse apts?
Thanks...that was quick! An eyewitness just said that they saw 1 parachute. Big fire on the ground but no news yet as to any injuries or fatalities on the ground.
Trying to find out now. I have a cousin who lives over there. Trying to get details. Just talked to my wife...thankfully she was home!
F-18 Crashes and Explodes Next to Elementary School (Updating Live)
A Navy F-18 fighter just went down between a Virginia Beach grade school and an animal rescue center—and the result is an enormous flaming heap of jet wreckage.
WAVY-TV reports “the Navy told WAVY.com the plane was an F18 Strike fighter squadron 106,” and is clearly still ablaze from on the ground images. No word on whether any pilot was injured (or dead), but there are already reports of injured pedestrians. [WAVY-TV]
Are you near the crash? Have you heard from anyone nearby or taken any pictures? Email me.
Update 12:56 PM EST: A local NBC affiliate says both F-18 pilots have been taken to the hospital after ejecting. A nearby apartment building (!) is being searched for casualties.
http://gizmodo.com/5899790/f+18-crashes-and-explodes-next-to-elementary-school-updating-live
2pm EST: on FoxNews now... Crew probably ejected... Crashed near road... No mention of apt complex, yet... developing
Yes. Mayfair Muse.
I’m sure there is a lot of stuff on Twitter about it, but I don’t have access at work.
Just reported on the radio...at least 2 buildings are on fire at Mayfair Muse apartments. Authorities are saying there is ‘significant damage’ on the ground! Pilots were trainees.
Wow, this was breaking news just now on KFI. Once again FR is ahead of the media news.
Prayers up for all.
Latest word is that it was a 2-seater, both ejected safely. Boy are they going to feel like crap for anybody dead on the ground. (Since it crashed into buildings, it’s hard to believe nobody got hurt, but I’m sure hoping.)
Is it Spring Break there now? News reports saying near Elementary school. In Newsspeak near could be 5 miles the way these guys have been lately.
The old Seatack elementary was right there but that school’s been closed and I believe it’s now a police tactical training center. The closest scholl is a couple of miles down the road.
Check out wrossgrogg on twitter for instant photos on the scene
Prayers up.
That’s the 2pm Fox radio bulletin I heard, but it was woefully incomplete compared to many Net sites’ coverage. I’m dumping Fox radio for Net-based coverage. I have family friends in that general area. All lines are busy. BRB.
2pm = 1pm. Something’s wrong with my eyes.
Lord Jesus, be with the victims of this tragedy. May the innocent suffering apply to Thy suffering on Thy Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.
Latest reporting indicates that two people on the ground were injured and taken to a local hospital; no word on their condition. Both pilots ejected safely; one of them was pulled to safety by three residents of the apartment complex after he ejected. F/A-18 was headed away from NAS Oceana at the time it went down, and dumping fuel. Crew was trying to get over the ocean before ejecting, but they never made it.
Crash site is around the Laskin Road area, off I-246 in Virginia Beach. Jet came down in the courtyard of an apartment complex for senior citizens.
Correction...the freeway in question is I-264, not 246.
Canteen ping...Mojo, you guys ok?
They are not abandoned buildings. It is a senior citizen complex. Unfortunately, we are likely looking at significant casualties.
Seatack is on South Birdneck. This is North Birdneck, on the other side of 264 near Laskin. All high density apartments around where this plane went down. This is not good.
Prayers for all involved.
It went down into Mayfair Mews Apts (NOT Muse), which are two miles from apch end of RWY 23L, which at 12,000’ is Oceana’s longest.
That’s what I said. The ‘old’ Seatack Elementary is near the crash site. The current Seatack is not.
If those on the ground received injuries but no fatalities, that would be a small miracle.
F/A-18 training flight. Pilots(2) ejected and reported alive. No report civilian casualties as yet.
Aren’t pilots not supposed to eject until they know this won’t happen?
If it’s true there were no fatalities at all, then miracles were aplenty today.
WAVY has a news helo over the scene sending video....
http://www.wavy.com/generic/news/WAVY_Newscast_Live_Stream
Thanks for the update, smooth.
BTTT
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/military-plane-crashes-in-virginia-beach
snip
Cmdr. Phil Rosi with Naval Air Forces Atlantic told WAVY.com the plane was an F-18 with Strike Fighter Squadron 106. Rosi added two aircrew safely ejected from the plane that was based at Naval Air Station Oceana.
Sentara Healthcare says one pilot is at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.
Further information is not available at this time.
end snip
Photos available here:
Holy Carp!
An F/A 18D Navy jet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 has crashed into an apartment building in Virginia Beach on Birdneck Road. Two pilots have been transported to the hospital. There has been no word on injuries according to Tim Riley of the Virginia Beach Police Department. He stated that the two pilots ejected from the jet.
It has been confirmed that the jet is a Delta two-seat model. There has been a significant amount of damage done to an apartment building.
Initial reports indicate that at approximately 12:05 p.m., the jet crashed just after takeoff at a location just off of the base.
The interstate is now shut down on Laskin Road through Birdneck in both directions.
Another person has also been transported to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
VFA-106 is based at Naval Air Station Oceana, and serves as the East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron. Their mission is to train Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Replacement Pilots and Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs) to support fleet commitments.
The Navy is coordinating with local authorities.
NewsChannel 3 is working to gather more information. We will post more as it becomes available.
Live feed.... http://www.wtkr.com/
Thanks, Smooth. They keep updating that link I posted at #12 with pics and live feeds too.
Indeed. Listening to the live feed. No injuries, pilots rescued and ok. It was close to where Mojo lives, I think.
I just had a long talk with my VA Beach BFF.
The crash was just a few blocks from her church on Laskin Road and occurred right after the ladies’ Bible Study got out.
Thank God everyone was gone...and that everyone is ok. So scary!!
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