Emotional Crowd Packs Community Forum At High School
In a briefing with
members of congress Thursday, Marine generals stated the pilot of a
stricken F/A-18D Hornet that crashed into a residential area
adjacent to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar had correctly followed
procedures in his attempt to land at the military base.
Alpine's Rep. Duncan Hunter, top Republican on the House Armed
Services Committee, requested the briefing. Rep. Brian Bilbray,
R-Carlsbad, and Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego were also
present.
After the closed-door briefing in Washington, DC, Hunter said,
"Double engine failure in the F/A-18D is an extremely rare
occurrence and the pilot made every effort to bring the aircraft
under control."
"The Marine Corps... given only one engine had malfunctioned and
the aircraft was running fine on the second motor, felt comfortable
directing that airplane into Miramar," said Hunter's spokesman Joe
Kasper. "Altitude, terrain and air speed made it very difficult to
divert anywhere else." Kasper added that the emergency landing at
Miramar was not without precedent.
As ANN reported last Monday, the plane had
departed from the USS Abraham Lincoln about 50 miles off the San
Diego coast and suffered the failure of the right engine soon
after. The flight was then directed to Miramar MCAS for an
emergency landing.
Mishap turned to tragedy as the left engine also failed, about
two miles short of the runway. The plane crashed into a residential
neighborhood, destroying several homes and taking the lives of four
people on the ground.
The pilot of the jet was able to eject prior to impact, and
survived with minimal injuries. "He was a little shaken up," said
witness Jason Widmer, who came to the pilot's aid. "The first thing
he said to me, even before he said, 'I'm OK,' he said, 'I hope I
didn't kill anybody."
Officials from the Marine base, as well as local city, police
and fire officials held a public meeting before a packed house of
about 300 people at nearby University City High School auditorium
Friday night, to address community concerns and answer
questions.
The emotional and sometimes hostile crowd wanted to know, among
other things, why the disabled jet had been routed over their
neighborhood.
Col. Christopher O'Connor, Miramar's commanding officer, told
the audience, "I pledge an absolutely thorough investigation so the
cause is identified and never happens again."
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said, "I'm sure we'll be learning
many lessons that we can put to use," expressing confidence that
the Marine Corps would take steps to prevent a similar crash, the
San Diego Union Tribune reported.
Many citizens present were not so easily comforted. University
City resident Louis Rodolico remarked, "I'm very concerned that
we're not going to get the full truth, and we're not going to have
enough outrage (in the community)," followed by a hearty round of
applause from the crowd.
"We need to know who cleared this pilot to fly over our houses,"
Rodolico said. Others suggested that the Marines should reroute
pilots away from University City and even recommended canceling the
planned Blue Angels air show.
But not everyone was bitter. Vicky Taylor, a seven-year resident
of University City, pointed out that passing judgment before the
investigation is completed is "ignorant and ineffective," the UT
reported. Even Don Yoon -- whose wife, daughters and mother-in-law
died in the crash -- held a news conference a day after the
accident, asking the public not to blame the pilot.
Reaching out to the community, Miramar MCAS posted the following
sentiments on its website: "The Marines, Sailors, and Civilian
Marines aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar would like to offer
their sincere condolences to the families and the entire University
City community affected by this tragedy.
"Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the people
who live and work in the community surrounding the air station. We
will do everything we can to ease the suffering of the community
and speed the recovery process.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has felt the
impact of this terrible accident. We remain committed in supporting
our neighbors during this challenging time."
In a process expected to take several weeks, the Marines are
removing wreckage and cleaning up the accident site. Experts from
the Marines, Navy, Federal Aviation Administration, and National
Transportation Safety Board are cooperating in the investigation of
the crash.