Arent pilots sposed to guide the plane out of unpopulated areas before crashin?

[rgramjet]

Just saying...

[abby normal]

Just saying...

a military fighter with both engines out is essentially a brick.  the guy probably punched out 100 feet off
the deck.  he did everything possible.

[Slag]

The pilot probably feels worse than anyone.

[TiAvenger]

Just saying...

Eyewitnesses report he punched out after his plane went into a full stall, and was about at treetop height.  

I swear to god, I never realized how many idiots there are in this country until I started reading the comments on some of the newspaper sites.... it was disgusting. Calling for him to be executed, and the like.  

All planes have a stall speed, below which your plane drops like a rock... this compounded by the fact that he was on approach and didn't have altitude to maneuver or try to pick up speed to glide , further complicated by the fact its fly by wire and no engines mean low/ if no  power to operate the flight control surfaces, and he stayed as long as he did, I a bit surprised he got out in time.  

According to the maps he was about 300 yards away from the canyon he was trying to crash into.  Its a shame he didn't make it, but no one can honestly believe that he didn't care, or wasn't trying to avoid civilian casualties.


For those calling for him to stay with the plane all the way down.... you are disgusting excuses for human beings. All that would have done is increased the death count to 5.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Families and Victims involved, and the pilot as well.

From the father of the victim..

"I believe my wife and two babies and mother-in-law are in heaven with God," Yoon said at a news conference afterward. "Nobody expected such a horrible thing to happen, especially right here, our house."

Yoon said he bore no ill will toward the Marine Corps pilot who ejected safely before the jet plunged into the neighborhood two miles west of the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. "I pray for him not to suffer for this action," Yoon said. "I know he's one of our treasures for our country."

[minnesotamonster]

There is a long "discussion" on this subject over at adv rider. It's pathetic hearing people bash this pilot. From all accounts I've heard he had no control over his plane, was trying to get to the nearby canyon, and punched at the LAST possible second. What else was he supposed to do? As posted above, if you think he should've went down with the plane, that's rediculous, nothing could've been done in the last 100 ft of the crash to stop the outcome.  It really irks me to hear people bash on our soldiers for practicing to keep our freedom.

[zarn02]

sounds like he did all that could possibly be done. a shame for what happened, but you can't do the impossible...

[erkishhorde]

Even the wording of that news quote you posted is a bit biased by saying that he ejected before the plane plunged to the floor. I know it's done mostly for dramatic effect but really it makes it sound like he bailed out at the first sign of problems and then plane went crashing to the ground from miles up in the sky.  

IIRC from the little bit i saw on the news the houses were right on the edge of a cliff and most of the damage I saw was only a house or 2 length away from the edge. He was pretty damn close to "saving" it. Bravo for his effort. Also I recall hearing somewhere that he was found in a tree only 2 blocks away from the plane. At the speeds he was probably going 2 blocks means he was very close to the ground when he ejected.

[rgramjet]

Didnt realize all the circumstances...hideous/unimaginable situation to be in.

RIP

[optiato]

Those are the same morons that despise anyone in the military simply because they're in the military.  As far as I'm concerned, they can make the beast with two backs off and go live in a country with no military to ensure their freedom and rights.  Let them see what it's really like.

In a way, I wish they're release recordings of the last communications so the public can hear his fear, particularly at the moment he realized he wouldn't make the canyon.

[the_Journeyman]

You know how horrible it would be to be in the pilots shoes, knowing the plane is going to drop, knowing he has to eject to survive and praying the nobody was home below him.  Kinda like those of us who drive large vehicles and a car pulls out in front of us.  Do we risk our lives dodging or do we risk the lives of the occupants in the car with the hopes we'll survive.  Sounds like the pilot did what he could ~

JM

[optiato]

Not to mention the thoughts in the entire squadron's heads that has ever touched that plane.

I was an avionics technician in the Navy.  I live in constant fear that I might have made some tiny mistake somewhere, nudged a wire in the wrong way that put it in position to be damaged... basically did something inadvertent that causes, at best, a plane to go down.  At worst, a (some) live(s) to be lost.

[Le Pirate]

I heard he lost it on approach.....there isn't shit you can do in those circumstances. He did a good job, tried to save as many lives as he could, and is getting thrown under the bus by the media.

I hope someone tells him he did right. Knowing you killed someone on accident has to be the worst feeling in the world.

and RIP to the family that died.

[tonyj311]

Not to mention the thoughts in the entire squadron's heads that has ever touched that plane.

I was an avionics technician in the Navy.  I live in constant fear that I might have made some tiny mistake somewhere, nudged a wire in the wrong way that put it in position to be damaged... basically did something inadvertent that causes, at best, a plane to go down.  At worst, a (some) live(s) to be lost.

I hear ya. I was avionics in the Marines (T/AV-8B). Any time there was an incident, I grabbed the maint log on that bird to see if I had worked on it.

Its fortunate that more people were not hurt, and I did read somewhere that his main concern was for anyone that may have been hurt.

[DCXCV]

I saw an interview with the Husband/Father/Son-in-law of the family who died in the crash.  I thought it was a great testament to him and a real gut check for native born Americans.  In one breath saying how he didn't know what to do now and in the next that he felt no ill will at all toward the pilot - that he understood his situation - all while more F18's were thundering overhead.  I can't even imagine.

[Triple J]

I saw an interview with an "eyewitness" the day it happened. She said she heard a small bang (most likely the ejection seat)...immediately followed by a large bang (plane crashing). He was going for the canyon and just didn't make it...very sad. The pilot is lucky he wasn't killed himself, or seriously injured, ejecting so late. Riding the plane into the ground would have served no purpose.

Tragic accident. Glad to hear that the father understands these things can happen. RIP to his family.