2008 San Diego F/A-18 crash

Last updated
2008 San Diego F/A-18 crash
F-18 Crash in University City.jpg
Smoke seen after the crash
Accident
DateDecember 8, 2008 (2008-12-08)
SummaryMechanical failure [1] due to negligent maintenance [2]
Site University City, San Diego, California
32°51′38″N117°11′54″W / 32.860656°N 117.198195°W / 32.860656; -117.198195
Aircraft
Aircraft type F/A-18D Hornet
Operator United States Marine Corps
Flight origin USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
Destination Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Occupants1
Passengers0
Crew1 [3]
Fatalities4 (on ground)
Survivors1

The San Diego F/A-18 crash was the crash of a United States Marine Corps (USMC) F/A-18 Hornet in a residential area of San Diego, California on December 8, 2008. The pilot, First Lieutenant Dan Neubauer (28) from VMFAT-101, was the only crewmember on board the two-seat aircraft; he ejected successfully, landing in a tree. The jet crashed into the University City residential area, destroying two houses and damaging a third. A total of four residents in one house, two adults and two children, were killed.

Contents

A USMC investigation concluded that poor maintenance caused the engine malfunction. Errors by the pilot and USMC personnel on the ground led to the aircraft crashing into the San Diego residential neighborhood. As a result, in early 2009 the pilot was temporarily grounded and thirteen other officers and enlisted personnel were relieved and/or disciplined. The Marine Corps notified other F/A-18 squadrons of the engine and fuel problems discovered during the investigation.

Crash

An F/A-18D from VMFAT-101 at MCAS Miramar in 2006, similar to one involved in the accident. A-18D VMFAT 101.jpg
An F/A-18D from VMFAT-101 at MCAS Miramar in 2006, similar to one involved in the accident.

On December 8, 2008 Lt Neubauer was piloting an F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet (Lot 12), BuNo 164017, [4] [5] [6] [3] from VMFAT-101, based at MCAS Miramar. Along with several other VMFAT-101 aircraft, he was conducting day and night carrier qualifications (catapult launches and tailhook arrested carrier landings) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln offshore 60 miles southwest of San Diego. [7] Neubauer was the only crewmember on board the two-seat aircraft. [3] [8]

After taking off from the carrier at 11:11 a.m., [9] Neubauer reported an oil caution light for the right engine, and shut it down after efforts to clear the problem failed. After declaring an emergency, he was first directed towards Naval Air Station North Island, but was redirected by superior officers to his home base of MCAS Miramar when about 20 miles (32 km) away from North Island. Neubauer attempted to make an arrested landing at Miramar but the jet lost power in its operating engine while on final approach. Eyewitnesses reported the jet flew slowly eastbound at a low altitude and was dumping fuel (which is not uncommon for an emergency landing). The pilot said that as he broke through the clouds at 2,500 feet (760 m), his left engine's thrust slipped dangerously low, and he unsuccessfully tried to restart the right engine. The left engine lost more thrust, before its generator dropped offline and the jet lost electrical power. [9]

The jet flew over University City High School and crashed into the residential area just past the school about two miles from the Miramar's runway 6L. [9] Neubauer waited "until the last possible moment" to eject from the plane, bailing out at an altitude of just 400 feet (120 m), having attempted to steer away from homes on the ground before the crash. [1] [2] [10] He ejected successfully, landing in a tree in Rose Canyon, just behind a home. The jet crashed into the University City residential area at Cather Ave and Huggins St (between the high school and exit 24 of Interstate 805), destroying two houses and damaging three others. A total of four residents in one house, two adults and two children, were killed. [11] [12]

Neubauer was taken to Naval Medical Center San Diego, a military hospital and treated for unspecified mild injuries, [13] [14] and reported being "horrified" by the crash at that time. [9] Killed on the ground in one home were Youngmi Yoon, 36; her 15-month-old baby, Grace; her 2-month-old newborn daughter, Rachel; and her mother, Suk Im Kim, 60, who had recently arrived from South Korea to help care for her daughter's newborn. [9] [10] [15] [16] [17] The other house destroyed belonged to John and Sunny Wu, who lived there with their two daughters Susan Wu and Alice Wu. None of the family was home at the time of the crash but the home and everything in it were lost. [12] [18]

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the crash, University City residents renewed previous calls for the US military to relocate aircraft from the base to a more remote location. In a counterpoint, homeowners in University City signed disclosure forms saying they were aware of overflying jets and that this "...extraordinarily rare event...got enormous publicity [and] the risk of living in University City and having a plane fall on you is millions to one." [19] Miramar was also the location of the Navy Fighter Weapons School before it was moved to the more remote Naval Air Station Fallon.

Marine commanders apologized for the crash and defended the decision to order Neubauer to land at Miramar instead of North Island, which isn't surrounded by residences, stating that double-engine failures are extremely rare. Said Colonel Christopher O'Connor, Miramar's commander, "We are not contemplating changing our emergency procedures at this time. We very seldom fly over the area. We take being good neighbors very seriously." [20]

On December 15, 2008, Marine officials stationed in South Korea helped receive Suk Im Kim's remains at Incheon International Airport and transport them to her home in Damyang. The next day, United States Forces Korea commander General Walter L. Sharp sent a delegation to Kim's home headed by Republic of Korea Army Major General Yong-goo Jang and U.S. Marine Corps Major General Frank Panther to express condolences to Kim's son-in-law, Dong-yun Yoon. [21]

As of July 2010, US$700,000 in claims had been paid by the government. [22] [23] Youngmi Yoon's husband, Dong Yun, publicly forgave Neubauer during a news conference the day after the crash. [10] Said Sunny Wu of the crash, "I don't want to blame anybody. I think everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Just as long as you can learn from your mistake, it's fine." [9]

In July 2010, represented by the Los Angeles law firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, Yoon sued Boeing and the United States government for $56M. In the suit, Yoon alleges that the government violated many of its procedures in its operation of the mishap aircraft and that Boeing was responsible for the defects in the aircraft's fuel systems which caused the crash. [22] Yoon later stated that the compensation offer from the US government for the loss of his four family members and his home was "insulting". Yoon's lawsuit against the US Navy was heard in a federal district court in San Diego in December 2011. [24] On 28 December 2011, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller awarded Yoon, his father-in-law, and mother-in-law's three adult children a total of $17.8 million in damage compensation from the U.S. government, [25] the highest wrongful death judgment against the United States and 20th highest verdict to date. [26]

The US government appealed the award [27] but the appeal was voluntarily dismissed on March 20, 2012. [28]

Investigation

On March 3, 2009, an investigation by the Marine Corps concluded that the accident was preventable. The report was generally scathing in its criticism of the conduct of the participants, including the pilot. The commanding officer of the squadron, its maintenance officer, its operations officer, and the operations duty officer were relieved of duty as a result of the investigation. Nine other marines received other disciplinary action. [2]

From the report, it appeared that the jet in question had a known track record of trouble in its left engine for several months. Maintenance was deferred after mechanics detected problems in the fuel flow system, a practice that was allowed at the time under established maintenance rules and procedures (since altered to forbid this practice); the aircraft had flown 146 times since the problem was identified. When the right engine was shut down for low oil pressure, the left engine did not receive enough fuel to produce sufficient thrust for flight, leading to the crash. [23] Forty similar aircraft throughout the fleet have been grounded to investigate similar fuel issues.

Following the pilot's report of the failure of the jet's right engine, controllers aboard Abraham Lincoln, as well as a civilian air traffic controller, directed the pilot to land at NAS North Island, the closest divert field. Squadron officials, however, ordered the pilot to land at MCAS Miramar after a brief discussion, which the investigation deemed "collectively bad decision-making by the duty officer, by the operations officer and by the squadron's commanding officer." The pilot also failed to consult his emergency procedures checklist during the emergency, as well as unnecessarily lengthening his approach to Miramar by making a 270-degree left turn after bypassing North Island, rather than a shorter 90-degree right turn. [9] [29] Specifically, the report criticized Neubauer for not questioning the order to divert to Miramar more forcefully, which he had briefly questioned. The squadron operations officials had underestimated the urgency of the situation, and placed undue emphasis on returning the pilot to his home field, having in mind the pilot's familiarity with that base, the longer runway, and better repair resources. [9] [30]

Despite criticism, Neubauer was returned to a probationary flight status and allowed to resume training in late April 2009, in a decision made by Lieutenant General George J. Trautman, III, the Deputy Commandant for Aviation. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Angels</span> United States Navys flight demonstration squadron

The Blue Angels are a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. Formed in 1946, the unit is the second oldest formal aerobatic team in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. The team, composed of six Navy and one Marine Corps demonstration pilot, fly Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Corps Air Station Miramar</span> USMC installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, San Diego, California, about 14 miles (23 km) north of Downtown San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMFA-232</span> Military unit

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Nicknamed the "Red Devils", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Red Devils are the oldest and most decorated fighter squadron in the Marine Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miramar Air Show</span>

The Miramar Air Show is an annual air show held at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The three-day event is the largest military air show in the United States, with total annual attendance estimated at 700,000. The show is held in October each year. The 2011 show was the 56th edition of the event, and celebrated the 100th anniversary of naval aviation. In 2007, the Miramar Air Show was voted the "World's Best Military Air Show" by the International Council of Air Shows, the first time the award was given to a Marine Corps air station since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Field Municipal Airport</span> Airport

Brown Field Municipal Airport is in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States, 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Downtown San Diego and named in honor of Commander Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. Its main runway is 7,972 feet (2,430 m) long. Its FAA/IATA airport code is SDM. Formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station Brown Field, it is now a civilian reliever airport and a port of entry from Mexico. It is sometimes staffed by the U.S. Customs Service, but only upon request of incoming pilots to the Federal Aviation Administration. The development plans for the SDM airport have been announced on 4th Oct 2022, the development will occur in phases over 20 years. The plans include a new FBO terminal building and individual airplane hangars. There is also talk of adding a million square feet of retail and industrial buildings and possibly a hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McClellan–Palomar Airport</span> Municipal airport serving the city of Carlsbad, California, United States

McClellan–Palomar Airport is a public airport three miles (5 km) southeast of Carlsbad in San Diego County, California. It is owned by the County of San Diego. The airport is used for both general aviation and commercial aviation. As of March 2013, the airport was the fourth-busiest single runway airport in the United States.

Pensacola: Wings of Gold is a syndicated American action/adventure drama series based at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. Episodes were aired in several countries outside the U.S. including Portugal, France, Sweden, South Africa, Finland, Estonia, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Australia and Sri Lanka. Although set in Florida, it was largely filmed in San Diego particularly at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Cast members in season 2 were part of a squadron mimicking VMFAT-101, the F/A-18 instructor squadron based in Miramar. Outdoor scenes were filmed in San Diego and MCAS Miramar while indoor scenes were filmed at Stu Segall Studios in San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMFAT-502</span> USMC fighter attack training squadron

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 502 (VMFAT-502) is a United States Marine Corps fighter attack training squadron flying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Known as the "Flying Nightmares", the squadron maintains the history of Marine Attack Squadron 513 (VMA-513) which dates back to World War II and was decommissioned on 12 July 2013. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillespie Field</span> Airport in El Cajon, California

Gillespie Field is a county-owned public towered airport 11.5 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Aircraft Group 11</span> Military unit

Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of two F-35C squadrons, one F-35B squadron, two F/A-18C squadrons, one fleet replacement squadron, one KC-130J tactical aerial refueling squadron, a maintenance and logistics squadron, and a wing support squadron. They fall under the command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMM-166</span> Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 (VMM-166) was a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "SeaElk", was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Activated in 1985, HMM-166 was the youngest CH-46 helicopter squadron in the Marine Corps. The squadron was redesignated as a tiltrotor squadron on June 23, 2010. The squadron was deactivated on October 1, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMFAT-101</span> Military unit

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet training squadron. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMFAT-501</span> Military unit

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) is a training squadron in the United States Marine Corps, consisting of 28 F-35B Lightning II aircraft and serves as the Fleet Replacement Squadron. Known as the "Warlords," the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls administratively under Marine Aircraft Group 31 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron has assumed the lineage of VMFA-451 which was originally known as the “Blue Devils” and saw action during World War II and Operation Desert Storm. They were decommissioned on January 31, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VFA-106</span> Military unit

Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106), also known as the "Gladiators", is a United States Navy F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University City, San Diego</span> Community of San Diego in California

University City (UC) is a community in San Diego, California, located in the northwestern portion of the city next to the University of California, San Diego. University City is bordered by La Jolla and Interstate 5 to the west, Miramar and Interstate 805 to the east, and North Clairemont and Highway 52 to the south, giving the community a triangular-shaped boundary. University City is a part of District 1, which is represented by Councilmember Joe LaCava on the San Diego City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Kearny</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum</span> Military aviation museum in California, United States

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a United States Marine Corps aviation museum currently located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California. The museum contains exhibits and artifacts relating to the history and legacy of United States Marine Corps Aviation. The outdoor exhibits include 31 historical aircraft, multiple military vehicles and equipment. Indoor exhibits feature photographs, artifacts and artwork from the early days of aviation to the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMLA-469</span> Military unit

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 (HMLA-469) was a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1 SuperCobra and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron was last headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton in Southern California and fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron was commissioned on June 30, 2009 and decommissioned on December 16 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1959 San Diego F3H crash</span> Aircraft accident

The 1959 San Diego F3H crash was the crash of a United States Navy McDonnell F3H-2N Demon in San Diego, California, on 4 December 1959. The pilot, Ensign Albert Joseph Hickman from VF-121, chose not to eject from the stricken aircraft, piloting it away from populated areas of Clairemont, including an elementary school, saving "as many as 700 people" on the ground, according to one estimate. The aircraft crashed into a canyon, with the pilot being the sole fatality. Hickman has been memorialized in the naming of an elementary school and a sports complex in San Diego. Several decades later, a similar crash occurred in University City, a neighborhood north of Clairemont.

References

  1. 1 2 "Korean Widower Doesn't Blame Pilot for F-18 Crash". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. December 10, 2008. Archived from the original on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  2. 1 2 3 "Marines sack 4 over deadly California plane crash". CNN.com. CNN. March 3, 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  3. 1 2 3 Steve, Liewer; Martinez, Angelica; Baker, Debbi (December 8, 2008). "Three dead as military jet crashes into University City neighborhood". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  4. ↑ Hersham, Surrey (February–March 2009). "Recent Casualties". Combat Aircraft. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. 10 (1): 20.
  5. ↑ "3 Dead, 1 Missing After F/A-18 Crashes Into Neighborhood". KGTV. December 8, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  6. ↑ Marosi, Richard; Perry, Tony (December 9, 2008). "F/A-18 military jet slams into San Diego neighborhood". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  7. ↑ "F-18 crashes in California". MarinesTV. United States Marine Corps. December 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  8. ↑ Liewer, Steve; Rogers, Rick (March 5, 2009). "Marines To Overhaul Repair, Air-Safety Rules". The San Diego Union-Tribune . p. 1.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Liewer, Steve (March 25, 2009). "Pilot's statement points to confusion". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  10. 1 2 3 Marosi, Richard; Perry, Tony (December 10, 2008). "San Diego man mourns loss of family, forgives Marine pilot in jet crash". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  11. ↑ Spagat, Elliot (December 10, 2008). "Rep. seeks F/A-18 records following crash". Army Times Publishing Company. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  12. 1 2 Kovach, Gretel C., "Five Lawsuits Pending In University City Crash", San Diego Union-Tribune , 30 December 2011.
  13. ↑ J. Lynn Lunsford; Yochi Dreazen (December 9, 2008). "Military Jet Crashes In San Diego". The Wall Street Journal . Dow Jones & Company. p. 3.
  14. ↑ Rogers, Rick (December 13, 2008). "Marines Defend Protocol For Flights". The San Diego Union-Tribune . pp. B1. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  15. ↑ Spagat, Elliot (December 9, 2008). "Records sought on jet type that killed 4 in crash". USA Today. Associated Press . Retrieved 2014-06-01.
  16. ↑ "Three dead in San Diego jet crash". BBC. 2008-12-08. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  17. ↑ Spagat, Elliot (2008-12-10). "Widower overwhelmed after F-18 crash kills his family". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  18. ↑ Gao, Helen, "Two Families Who Lost Their Homes In Jet Crash Trying To Rebuild Lives", San Diego Union-Tribune , January 31, 2009.
  19. ↑ Phan, Hieu Tran; Steve Liewer; Rick Rogers (December 14, 2008). "Crash Renews Calls For Base To Be Vacated". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved 2009-04-03.
  20. ↑ Rogers, Rick, "Marines Defend Protocol For Flights", San Diego Union-Tribune , December 13, 2008.
  21. ↑ Jung, Sung-ki, "USFK Pays Respect to Korean Victims", Korea Times , December 17, 2008, p. 22.
  22. 1 2 Kovach, Gretel C., "U.S., Boeing Sued Over Miramar Jet Crash", San Diego Union-Tribune , July 29, 2010.
  23. 1 2 Liewer, Steve; Rogers, Rick (March 4, 2009). "A chain of wrong decisions". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Copley Press . Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  24. ↑ Watson, Julie, "Family sues over F/A-18 crash that killed 4", Associated Press/ Military Times , 12 December 2011.
  25. ↑ Watson, Julie, Associated Press, "Gov't to pay family $17.8M for military jet crash Archived 2016-08-26 at the Wayback Machine ", Stars and Stripes , being the highest wrongful death judgment against the United States and 20th highest verdict to date. 28 December 2011.
  26. ↑ "Aviation Accident Results". www.aviationdisasterlaw.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  27. ↑ Moran, Greg, "Government Appeals $17.8 Million Jet-Crash Award", U-T San Diego , 7 March 2012, p. B2.
  28. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Case No. 12-55435, Yoon, et al. v USA, Docket No. 8.
  29. ↑ Perry, Tony (March 4, 2009). "Poor maintenance, critical errors caused jet crash, report says". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  30. ↑ Blood, Michael R. (March 24, 2009). "Documents: F/A-18 pilot horrified jet hit home". Marine Corps Times . Army Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  31. ↑ Perry, Tom (April 22, 2009). "Marine pilot in San Diego jet crash will fly again". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.