FA/18 crash

[Ghanja]

Just found this: http://jalopnik.com/5899791/a-navy-fighter-jet-just-crashed-into-virginia-beach-apartment-building

[Phantom88]

Yeah.Not good:cry:

[Daze]

Wow, not good to see.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Daze

[Sov13t]

F-18D, pilots ejected. 5-6 buildings damaged, each building houses 8 apartments.

 

So far no deaths reported.

[BIGNEWY]

more pics here at RT

 

http://rt.com/news/navy-jet-crashes-virginia-475/

[MTFDarkEagle]

Oh dear.. I hope no one was hurt! Or in any case not badly!

[Sov13t]

 

Notice engine nozzles...

[Jona33]

 

Notice engine nozzles...

 

What about them.

[Pilotasso]

The paramedics just seem to be stting outside on standby with strechers. No deaths to be confirmed, at least theres hope.

[Pilotasso]

 

Notice engine nozzles...

 

Seems the engines were at different setting at the time of crash, possible failure of one or the 2.

[BIGNEWY]

Read on twitter it seemed to be dumping fuel before the crash

[Sov13t]

NAVY officials saying that the aircraft went down right after take off...

[BIGNEWY]

glad they seem to be ok

 

maybe a bird strike then, with the way the nozzles are ?

[Daze]

F-18D from VFA 106

[Frostiken]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17640618

 

While eyewitness reports are from people who probably don't know what they're talking about, they say it was dumping fuel and under very low power. This is the second time an F/A-18 has crashed into a neighborhood, albeit with apparently a lot fewer casualties.

 

While I can't speculate on the nature of the emergency (assuming the Navy maintenance derps learned engine fuel flow problems probably shouldn't be deferred) what it sounds like is that the pilots knew they were going to have to ditch the plane, and dumped as much fuel as possible in order to limit the fire when the plane crashed (which is really always the biggest danger), and to reduce the weight such that the plane wouldn't smash through fifteen houses before it stopped.

 

Additionally in the interest of speed control it also sounds like it was full flaps down and riding the edge of a stall to bleed as much speed as possible. Sounds like it worked, because from what I can tell it smashed right through the one building and fell to a stop in the backyard, with no serious fire.

 

If that's true, good job pilots!

 

Regarding the nozpoz, I find it incredibly hard to believe a bird strike would bring down a two-engine plane. I know the F/A-18 has ****-all for power, but still, it's a stretch, unless the engine completely shelled out and destroyed the AMADs or something.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Frostiken

[gear_monkey]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17640618

 

While eyewitness reports are from people who probably don't know what they're talking about, they say it was dumping fuel and under very low power. This is the second time an F/A-18 has crashed into a neighborhood, albeit with apparently a lot fewer casualties.

 

While I can't speculate on the nature of the emergency (assuming the Navy maintenance derps learned engine fuel flow problems probably shouldn't be deferred) what it sounds like is that the pilots knew they were going to have to ditch the plane, and dumped as much fuel as possible in order to limit the fire when the plane crashed (which is really always the biggest danger), and to reduce the weight such that the plane wouldn't smash through fifteen houses before it stopped.

 

Additionally in the interest of speed control it also sounds like it was full flaps down and riding the edge of a stall to bleed as much speed as possible. Sounds like it worked, because from what I can tell it smashed right through the one building and fell to a stop in the backyard, with no serious fire.

 

If that's true, good job pilots!

 

Regarding the nozpoz, I find it incredibly hard to believe a bird strike would bring down a two-engine plane. I know the F/A-18 has ****-all for power, but still, it's a stretch, unless the engine completely shelled out and destroyed the AMADs or something.

 

I don't mean to be offensive here but Accident Investigation 101 says, "NEVER form an opinion on what you see when you first walk on to an accident scene."

 

Many a would be investigator has eaten their words when they first claimed to know exactly why an accident occurred.

[Jona33]

Regarding the nozpoz, I find it incredibly hard to believe a bird strike would bring down a two-engine plane. I know the F/A-18 has ****-all for power, but still, it's a stretch, unless the engine completely shelled out and destroyed the AMADs or something.

 

On takeoff it would be surprising. Landing I would be less surprised if they were slow and just unlucky.

 

EDIT: witness saying flames coming from one engine.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Jona33

[Kenan]

Let's just hope noone got hurt. Jets are replaceable, human lives are not.

[VincentLaw]

If it was a left engine failure then they could have been using the afterburner on the right engine, which would explain the difference in nozzle ratios and the eyewitness reports of "flames coming out of one engine." It just doesn't explain the part where the airplane hit the ground. Maybe debris from an engine failure cut through the hydraulic lines or damaged the other engine. In any case, its good there have been no death reports yet.

[EtherealN]

Many a would be investigator has eaten their words when they first claimed to know exactly why an accident occurred.

 

And where did Frostiken claim to know exactly why an accident occured? Indeed, I see a lot of qualifiers in his statement exactly indicating the lack of certainty. ;)

[aaron886]

If it was a left engine failure then they could have been using the afterburner on the right engine, which would explain the difference in nozzle ratios and the eyewitness reports of "flames coming out of one engine." It just doesn't explain the part where the airplane hit the ground. Maybe debris from an engine failure cut through the hydraulic lines or damaged the other engine. In any case, its good there have been no death reports yet.

 

That's...uh... pretty speculative. There's a helluva firewall between the engines.

[HiJack]

Hit a bird? Or several birds?

[BIGNEWY]

Three Unaccounted For After US Navy Jet Crash :(

 

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16204292

 

Both pilots - who were among seven people injured - ejected moments before the aircraft, which was from Strike Fighter Squadron 106, crashed.

One pilot was apparently still strapped into his seat but was able to speak and even apologised for hitting the building, according to witnesses.

 

jet pilots are awesome

Edited April 7, 2012 by BIGNEWY

[Frostiken]

Still strapped into his seat? So much for egress I guess.

 

There's a helluva firewall between the engines.

I have no idea what the F/A-18s innards look like or how the hydro is routed, but a shell-out so catastrophic that it did that sort of damage seems very remote. Shell-outs are rare, shell-outs that break through the engine housing even rarer. Witnesses did say 'flames from one engine' which usually means a blowout or FOD damage. I doubt that was afterburner - it's very hard to see the flame in daylight, and it would have made so much noise nobody, no matter how ignorant of aircraft, would be able to mistake it for anything else. Also, an engine shutdown opens the nozzle, but so does afterburner. Based on my experience with the engines the right was shut down and the left was in mil or sec power (which is when the nozzle is closed the tightest). Edited April 7, 2012 by Frostiken

[WildBillKelsoe]

this is so ****ed up