A Navy student pilot was at the helm of a F/A-18 Hornet jet that crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex yesterday. According to the AP the student and his instructor ejected the plane shortly before it slammed into the building's courtyard at 170 miles per hour. No serious injuries or deaths were reported, and equipment malfunction is believed to be responsible for the crash.
"Catastrophic engine system failure right after takeoff, which is always the most critical phase of flying, leaves very, very few options," pilot and aviation safety expert J.F. Joseph said. "You literally run out of altitude, air speed and ideas all at the same time." The jet had dumped much of it's fuel before it crashed, preventing what a Virginia Beach EMS division chief described as "an absolute, massive, massive fireball."
It's unclear whether the fuel was dumped intentionally or if it was part of the jet malfunction. It's also unknown how experienced the student pilot was, but the instructor is described as "extremely experienced."
40 apartments were damaged or destroyed. The commander of the Navy's U.S. Fleet Forces, Adm. John C. Harvey, Jr., released a statement that read in part:
I deeply regret that some in our community have lost their homes, and I, like many, pray for the well-being of all…We will conduct a complete investigation into the cause of this mishap and share all information we have as soon as we are able to do so.
