VFA-106 Jet Crash

[maddog65]

Finally got home just now.
VFA-106 F/A-18D crashed on approach to Oceana this afternoon.
Saw the ejection and then the smoke but couldn't tell what was wrong.
Both Pilot and WSO/Instructor are ok.

reason for edit to correct model

[jetmax]

Just saw this on the news. Which runway where they coming in on at KNTU?

[maddog65]

Believe it was 23L as 23R is still closed for repairs.

[james84]

Navy jet crashes into apartments in Virginia

CNN) -- A Navy jet crashed Friday into some apartments near Virginia Beach, Virginia, sending flames and thick black smoke into the air, a military spokesman and a witness said.

At least two people were hurt Friday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The pilot and a person who was on the ground were being treated for injuries, but the nature and extent of those injuries were not immediately clear, the spokeswoman said.

Two apartment buildings were on fire, CNN affiliate WTKR reported, citing witnesses.

The jet was from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The crew of the two-seater F/A-18 safely ejected, but their condition wasn't known, a Navy spokesman said.

The plane is from a training squadron, the Navy said.

George Pilkington, a witness to the crash, said he saw the plane flying low, with its nose up and tail down, ejecting fuel -- which struck him as unusual. The engine was straining, he said.

"It came over the top of my truck emptying fuel," Pilkington said.

"That it didn't cause more damage to the apartment buildings was a blessing," he said.

The plane crashed in an area of apartment complexes and homes a half-mile from the waterfront, Pilkington said.

Black smoke and flames rose from the crash site.

At least one building was damaged, according to video footage from CNN affiliate WTKR. A charred section of the jet wreckage was on the ground nearby.

Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars filled the area as smoke drifted overhead.

Another witness, Zack Zapatero, said the plane crashed into a building occupied by senior citizens. He took photographs of the crash scene.

"There's these large fire balls coming up," Zapatero said. "I was told there was a bunch of senior citizens that live in that building, which worries me a lot.

"Buildings were starting to collapse," he said of the wreckage scene.

"Through the smoke, you could see the end of the plane sitting in the courtyard" of the building, Zapatero said.

[james84]

http://video.repubblica.it/mondo/virgin ... 2200/90594

[maddog65]

The plane crashed right after takeoff is what is being reported here locally.
So maybe compressor stall?

[maddog65]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/06/na ... latestnews
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/201 ... s/#slide=5

Look at the this picture, definitely looks like something wrong with one of the engines.

Also eyewitnesses are reporting that the jet was silent before the crash.

[MIKE JG]

It's got two engines. Dual flamout could happen but rare.

Thankfully it sounds like no one on the ground is seriously hurt.

[MIKE JG]

Looking at that pic, looks like no.1 might have still been producing power. Still should fly in that case. Bird strike possibly?

Not been a good week, an experimental Seawind 3000 crashed into a Publix grocery store down here in Florida on Monday evening.

[james84]

I agree, it might be a birdstrike.
Some images here
http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2012/04 ... ef=HREC1-4

Unfortunately, somebody is missing...

[Victory103]

Really hard to speculate given the limited info from the pics and bystanders, but at take-off weight and losing an engine can't be good in a Hornet. Having a new pilot and I'm sure at least one drop tank doesn't help.

[ronniegj]

Miraculously, it was announced a little while ago that all persons have been accounted for, and that no fatalities have occurred as a result of this incident! Ron

[maddog65]

From what is being reported here is that there was a fuel leak on #1 engine, they shut that down and began dumping fuel when a catastrophic failure occured.

A friend of my sons said it looked like the left wing was on fire.

I will keep my ear to the ground on this and keep everyone updated.


Les

[Victory103]

Just general Hornet info I requested and got a reply back, they fly fine single engine. Glad no one on the ground was hurt after all.

[maddog65]

Big Navy released the results from the investigation of the VFA-106 F/A-18D Hornet, BuNo 163452 that crashed back in April.
Readers digest version below or you can click the links to read the Navy Times article.

The A/C suffered a dual engine failure. 5 seconds after takeoff the compressor in the right engine stalled, moments later in a unrelated problem the left afterburner failed.

The commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, Rear Adm. Ted Branch, said this is the first time there has been a dual-engine failure in an F/A-18. Had only one engine failed, Branch said it’s likely the jet could have continued flying.

The report says the engines failed for different, unrelated reasons. The right engine stopped working after it ingested a flammable liquid, according to the report. That liquid ignited and caused a catastrophic failure of the compressor, according to the report.

The report says that in other crashes where the high-pressure compressor section blades in the engine failed, that liquid was later found to be fuel.

The problem with the left engine had to do with its afterburner not igniting. The Navy was unable to determine the exact cause of that problem because of the extensive damage to the plane.


http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/07/n ... sh-070212/
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/07/a ... sh-070212/

[MIKE JG]

Jeezbus, that never happens. Well......I guess I can't say that any longer.

[Victory103]

The comments are always fun to read, what idiots. Add to the fact they could not jettison a full centerline tank over that area.

[maddog65]

Really!!! Trying to save my A/C oh lets drop this 2500 Gal tank and flame spray everybody..

LOL