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Navy Jet Crashes Into Virginia Beach Apartment Building

Navy Confirms Jet Crashed in Virginia Beach

The plane hit inside an apartment complex. (Photo: WAVY/Ran Randolph)

The Navy has confirmed that one of its aircraft has crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

Military and police are on the scene.

The Virginian-Pilot reports Cmdr. Phil Rosi, a spokesman for Naval Air Force Atlantic, as saying two parachutes were seen, which means those in the plane may have been able to eject safely. WAVY, the local NBC affiliate, reports Sentara Healthcare as saying one of the pilots was found and brought to the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. The condition of this pilot is unknown at the time.

Navy Confirms Jet Crashed in Virginia Beach

This photo shows remnants of the plane. (Photo: Facebook via WAVY)

According to WJLA, the effected apartment complex is located at at 900 block of S Birdneck Road in Virginia Beach. The apartments have been identified as the Mayfield Mews apartments, and authorities are going door-to-door at nearby residences to see if anyone had knowledge of a person inside the building. The plane that hit the building was a F/A-18 Hornet belonging to the VFA (Strike Fighter Squadron) 106.

Watch this report on the accident:

Navy Confirms Jet Crashed in Virginia Beach

(Photo: WAVY/Ran Randolph)

Navy Confirms Jet Crashed in Virginia Beach

(Photo: WAVY/Ran Randolph)

 

Navy Confirms Jet Crashed in Virginia Beach

F/A-18 Hornet (Photo: Blue Jacket)

CNN provides details from eye witnesses:

George Pilkington, a witness to the crash, said he was 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 in a resort area a half mile from the waterfront, Pilkington said.

“When the initial impact happened, there was debris and pieces of the airplane flying everywhere,” hitting other buildings, Pilkington said. “There’s damage to different parts of the buildings all around it.”

[...]

Zack Zapatero, another witness, told CNN he saw a few people walking out of one of the smoky, damaged buildings. Some of them had cuts and were coughing, he said.

WAVY reports this statement made by Congressman Scott Rigell:

“Our prayers are with our entire Hampton Roads and military communities right now as our first responders are admirably addressing the situation on the ground.  I have spoken with Governor McDonnell, Mayor Sessoms, and leadership at Naval Air Station Oceana, and my office and I stand ready to assist as appropriate.”

According to WAVY, Grazia Moyers, a spokeswoman for the state police department, said the crash occurred just before 12:30 p.m. Virginia State Police have shut down a portion of Interstate 264 for a time but have since opened at least one lane.

This is a breaking story. Updates will be added as details become available. 

Comments (136)

1 2 3
  • powedj
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:31pm

    It‘s George Bush’s fault.

    Report Post » powedj  
  • NOTALOTTAYITTAYADDA
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:31pm

    Maybe it got lost in the system or it could be censorship, but I waited a good while for it to show up.

    Notice how the jet fuel burns PITCH BLACK, as opposed to the HOAX pulled at the twin towers which is dark GREY.
    A bullet has to travel 2-3000fps to penetrate steel plate, and has a density 4x greater than aluminum. An airliner can be seen floating in the Hudson river, making it about 0.2 relative sg. A 767 can not exceed 500fps at sea level, and even the exaggerated claims don’t come close to 1000fps. In summation, an airliner can only produce 1% the energy needed to shear structural steel. Stop focusing on the media hyped HOAX people, the LAWS OF PHYSICS can not be broken.

    Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:43pm

      I flat out cannot stand hearing anymore of this garbage about 911 being a conspiracy. pull your head out of your rear, lots of good folks died that day and 1000′s of our men and women in uniform since then. just shut your face and quit with this it is insulting to all those who died.

      Report Post »  
    • USAMEDIC3008
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:03pm

      Carefull.your stupid is showing

      Report Post » USAMEDIC3008  
    • USAMEDIC3008
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:07pm

      NOTALOTTABRAINS
      Your stupid is showing

      Report Post » USAMEDIC3008  
    • riseandshine
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:46pm

      Actually Nottalotta is pretty clever…don’t buy his BS…he knows full well that planes hit the towers.

      Report Post » riseandshine  
    • aragona
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 5:28pm

      But I bet you believe Obama’s birth certificate is real, LOL

      Report Post »  
    • emty44
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 7:38pm

      you really aren’t very bright are you…a 10 ton airliner more than makes up for whatever fps you may be referring too. The steel and concrete in that structure were only designed to handle 10 to 150000 lbs of force. n ot the 40 to 50,000 that actually hit them….

      Report Post »  
  • john koenig
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:27pm

    True about Midway. Southwest’s only fatality in its history was when one of their planes went through the fence and hit a car in front of the gas station, killing a six year old boy in the car.

    Report Post » john koenig  
  • Joel Knows
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:18pm

    I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who lives 100 yards from the crash site. Her husband was home taking care of their kids, The schools in Virginia Beach are of course not is session today for Good Friday. Her children go to school with a lot of the children who live in the apartment complex, so far she has found out everyone she knows, and her kids know are fine.

    Pray that only buildings and a jet were damaged, as they are easy to replace. A human life is irreplaceable, each person has ideas and thoughts that can enrich each one of our lives.

    Report Post » Joel Knows  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:45pm

      I am glad your friends are safe, God bless all of those folks involved in this and my family will be praying.

      Report Post »  
  • HUSSAR
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:16pm

    SUPPORT Jet Control !!!
    Write or call your useless representative TODAY !!

    Report Post » HUSSAR  
    • Joel Knows
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:32pm

      Hussar, Oceana Naval Air Station is one of the best! Rep. Scott Rigell from VA-2 has already been on top of crash, and reported to his constituents. Anyone with any sense here in Virginia Beach love jet noise, and have the deepest gratitude to every single one of our servicemen who serve all of us.

      Report Post » Joel Knows  
    • Joel Knows
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:34pm

      Also, just to add, our Congressman here lives less than a mile from the crash site.

      Report Post » Joel Knows  
    • COFemale
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 1:03am

      Here is a thought Hussar that probably never came to that pea brain of yours, don’t live near a Navy or AFB base. There is nothing like the smell of jet fuel in the morning.

      Report Post » COFemale  
  • PhantomsPhorever
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:09pm

    Prayers inbound that no one on the ground was hurt like at MCAS Miramar. Still as a former ejection seat/survival equipment shop supervisor my blood still pumps at the sight of a good last second dual ejection. I would hate to be the pilot that had to call “punch” over a city, but they did the right thing. BRAVO ZULU!

    “Meet your maker, in a Martin Baker” Not this time Fate.

    Report Post »  
  • the_system_disconnect
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:05pm

    OMG! We clearly need to ban jets now!
    /sarcasm

    Hope everyone is okay.

    Report Post » the_system_disconnect  
    • Nepenthe
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:27pm

      Over residential area, yes we do need to ban them.

      Report Post » Nepenthe  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:45pm

      NEPENTHE
      In order to do that, the largest naval base on the east coast would have to be shut down. Now how will that affect the regional economy? I am sure obama would LOVE that!

      Report Post » Stoic one  
    • maccow
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:52pm

      @NEPENTHE
      Yes we need to ban them because all good liberals know that only sunshine, lollypops and fuzzy bunnies should ever fall from the sky. Oh wait….Fuzzy bunnies might hurt a child if they fell from the sky. The same with lollypops, so only happiness and sunshine should fall from the sky….. sunshine causes skin cancer….. Only happy thoughts should ever fall from the sky. That would mean someone would have to be sending those happy thoughts and that sounds to God-ish and the idea of a God might offend or scare some children….. Where is chicken little when we need him?

      Report Post » maccow  
    • Joel Knows
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 6:00pm

      Recently there was an accident between 2 motorized vehicles!

      WE MUST BAN ALL MOTORIZED VEHICLES FROM TRAVELLING NEAR WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN!!!!

      Could this be such big news because the Navy has such a good safety record in this area????

      Report Post » Joel Knows  
    • COFemale
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 1:07am

      I think the residential encroached the Navy base not the other way around. Everyone who moves there understand the risk and are willing to take it. When was the last time you heard of a military jet crashing in a subdivision?

      Report Post » COFemale  
  • NOTALOTTAYITTAYADDA
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:02pm

    Notice how the jet fuel burns PITCH BLACK, as opposed to the HOAX pulled at the twin towers which is dark GREY.
    A bullet has to travel 2-3000fps to penetrate steel plate, and has a density 4x greater than aluminum. An airliner can be seen floating in the Hudson river, making it about 0.2 relative sg. A 767 can not exceed 500fps at sea level, and even the exaggerated claims don’t come close to 1000fps. In summation, an airliner can only produce 1% the energy needed to shear structural steel. Stop focusing on the media hyped HOAX people, the LAWS OF PHYSICS can not be broken.

    Report Post »  
  • Marcia
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:01pm

    That apartment area is mostly filled with seasonal resort workers. Hopefully, they all were at work. This is Easter Weekend and a big tourist season for us here in VB. There has been much controversy about the population density so close to the Oceana jet base. This will certainly reignite that debate! To it’s credit, the city of VB has been buying up alot of land around the base and leaving it undeveloped just for this reason.

    Report Post »  
  • Dishevel
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:31pm

    @MICKGRINGO
    The dude drinks White Russians. Not Black Russians.

    Report Post »  
  • Case_Logic
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:25pm

    I sincerely hope no one was seriously hurt or killed.

    Report Post » Case_Logic  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:59pm

      ditto that
      Honestly some of the comments on here are truly unbelievable. People could be dead or seriously injured and you want to argue about the existance of God, military budgets, politics, logistics and Obama? You folks need to get your priorities straightened out.

      Report Post »  
  • chazde3
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:21pm

    Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a s*** about the rules? Mark it zero!

    Report Post »  
  • unwine99
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:09pm

    Yep, thinning out the ol’ herd. Were plenty of people injured?………….hmmm

    Report Post » unwine99  
  • Apple Bite
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:06pm

    This is what happens when you keep cutting Military spending. Just keep that in mind…

    Military Spending is more than just creating arms and nukes. It involves everything from building upkeep and vehicle maintenance, to paying personnel. Liberals think our fleet of ships, jets and arms will last forever. They refuse to believe these things take a lot of money to keep them in proper order and ready to utilize when necessary…

    Report Post » Apple Bite  
    • unwine99
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:14pm

      Sort of the way liberals think health care is important and worth the cost, you think killing machines are important and worth the cost. Just a difference in thought process and priority. No more, No less.

      Report Post » unwine99  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:18pm

      In order to believe that, they would have to care, and I don’t think they really do. Hope everyone involved is okay.

      Report Post »  
    • Case_Logic
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:29pm

      I hope Dems don’t come out screaming for a ban on military planes.

      I can hear Dems now saying that PLANES are racist, hate women and old people, they literally push granny over the cliff, are the reason for high unemployment, cost too much, are single best reason to do away with the second amendment, don’t want college kids to have condoms, Fox news put them up to it, George Bush flew one so it’s his fault, are the reason we need bigger government, you know, for public safety.

      Report Post » Case_Logic  
    • Nathen
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:41pm

      Like ANY government entity, the military has out of this world, uncontrolled spending. Billions upon billions can be cut from the military and it would only help out budget and our country. You are blaming liberals but did you know the most conservative politician in the American congress wants more cuts to military spending than ANY liberal in congress? You need to get your facts right. Real conservatives know we are spending too much in the military because 80% of it is wasted.

      Report Post »  
    • JAMACAMECRAZYMAN
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:46pm

      @UWINE – Healthcare will degrade all existing services and only benefit the poor. THE MILITARY IS WHY WE EXIST TODAY. Protects the rich and poor alike. When will bleeding heart liberals ever wake up……………

      Report Post »  
    • burnteye86
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:54pm

      They probably won’t wake up till the 3rd or 4th seal is opened.

      Report Post » burnteye86  
    • SgtB
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:13pm

      No it isn’t. Those planes are maintained or they don’t fly at all. Cutting spending does not mean that our aircraft that are flying are ill maintained. If anything, it means that we will have less planes in the future as the older airframes will be turned into spare parts.

      That said, I am a Marine and I can tell you that our military needs to have its’ budget slashed. If you have never been to an awards ceremony at an aviation logistics unit for a Sergeant in supply who takes pride in having spent ~50K on anything and everything he could buy in the last week before the end of a fiscal year, then I wouldn’t expect you to understand the level of waste and abuse present in our services.

      Also, the services could save alot of money if they got rid of their sodexho contracts and went back to having service members serve in the mess hall as an MOS or on a station rotation like any other duty. There are more than a few ways that our military could change to save us a whole heap of money every year. But, we should never forget that social security and gov‘t entitlement programs are the eating the lion’s share of our budget.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • Madmilo
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:46pm

      @UNWINE99 Unlike healthcare, It is in the constitution to have a military to protect America and its citizens. GO WHINE SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUTTWHIPE.

      Report Post » Madmilo  
    • kaydeebeau
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:47pm

      Nathan read Article 1 Section 8 much…..what are the 3 major things the Fed gov’t is supposed to spend money on? Here’s a hint….military, post office and post roads…..Which is the only one worth a flip? Here’s another hint……. military

      Report Post » kaydeebeau  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:25pm

      SGTB

      There is nothing like KP to make you sad that you missed the 20 mile hike.

      Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
    • MetalPatriot
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 5:32pm

      Srgnt…

      How dare you speak the truth?

      Two of my buddies made the comment about all the party favors from banquets/balls/ceremonies could be nixed in exchange for one extra Bradley in Iraq. (just for the argument, not real numbers)

      Report Post » MetalPatriot  
    • RetUSAFVet
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 11:01pm

      @sgtb – you are right that the planes are thoroughly inspected before each flight. However, due to cuts in funding, the replacement parts to fix a plane are cannibalized from other aircraft rather than new replacement parts (much like if your car is wrecked – you can buy a new part, i.e. fender, or go to a junk yard and get one off of another wreck). While this does save money, it does increase the breakage rate. And as to your other point about spending money before the end of the fiscal year, the MILITARY did not set those rules, Congress did. Like the $600 hammer, the military would be happy with a $10 hammer from Ace Hardware – but the congress has set the requirements for each item which drives up the price (triple bids on every item, unusually strict specs, multiple layers of inspections, all of which costs money). So let’s put the blame where it belongs – ON CONGRESS and not the men and women of the military.

      Report Post » RetUSAFVet  
    • I support God's Israel!
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:31am

      Apple Bite:
      You are correct. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU NEVER SPENT A DIME KEEPING UP MAINTENANCE ON YOUR CAR(S), YOUR HOME, LAWNMOWERS, BIKES, ETC.?

      Report Post » I support God's Israel!  
  • Mark0331
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:55pm

    @MICKGRINGO…excellent…”I don’t roll on Shabbas!!”

    Report Post » Mark0331  
  • mickgringo
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:45pm

    …at least the bowling alley around the corner was spared. Walter, Donny.. it’s time to roll! Where’s my Black Russian?

    Report Post » mickgringo  
  • Jim in Houston
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:42pm

    It must have happened suddenly and the plane must have been uncontrollable since they always try to steer away from populated areas before ejecting.

    Report Post »  
  • RACSAN20
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:29pm

    Prayers to all of those involved.

    Report Post » RACSAN20  
  • Ronald Wilson
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:18pm

    Someone in the white house just smiled.

    Report Post » Ronald Wilson  
  • MittensKittens
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:17pm

    Hope no one was hurt…on the flip side, why was a fighter jet near a populated area in the first place?

    Report Post » MittensKittens  
    • tmedlin
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:27pm

      because there are several Navy bases in and around the Virginia Beach area

      Report Post » tmedlin  
    • CHRISTIANNATION
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:27pm

      NAS Oceana was opened in 1943 in the middle of no where. The city of Virginia Beach has continued to build around that base although the Navy has protested. Accidents happen.

      Report Post »  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:32pm

      A jet fighter is much more safer around a populace than a Jumbo jet. Have you ever flown into LAX? You approach over buisnesses and houses. If one of those jets crashed, it would take out more than 1 building.

      This is like saying “Why is a car driving around the streets? But I’m OK with a bus or a truck.”

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • Polarized America
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:46pm

      A Jet went down in my town a few years back, The Pilot stay with his plane and managed to avoid every home …. R.I.P. Sir

      Report Post »  
    • chazmo
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:55pm

      LAX.. meh.. try flying into San Diego.. yikes…

      Report Post » chazmo  
    • OhioRifleman
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:56pm

      LAX, San Diego are pikers. Try Midway Airfield in Chicago. Miss the runway by as little as 50 meters and you’re already out in a highway. Fifteen more and you just parked your jet on top of a gas station.

      Report Post » OhioRifleman  
  • Mark0331
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:15pm

    God Bless everyone involved…that being said, lets hope it was mechanical in nature and not a FIM-92 Stinger missile…nothing would suprise me anymore in this world, Pray for Peace-Prepare for War.

    Report Post » Mark0331  
    • unwine99
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:19pm

      Ya, pray to a god that isn’t real for something that is impossible. War wins out every time.

      Report Post » unwine99  
    • PhantomsPhorever
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:41pm

      In the first Gulf War the Iraqi’s got their hands on a bunch of Stingers that belonged to Kuwait. I know for sure they hit 3 F-18′s with them and blew the “turkey feathers” off the aft stages of the engines. Every one of the Hornets got home as a flying mangled mess. The Harriers and Falcons were not so lucky. Most likely this will be a fuel transfer problem.

      Report Post »  
  • COFemale
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:14pm

    The problem that also comes with this crash is that nobody who lives in the complex will be able to go home even if their building was not damaged. Some military jets contain a hazardous material that can actually kill you if you breathe it. It is called hydrazine. I know F-16 jets contain it, but I am not sure about Navy jets. HazMat should also be there. I am not sure how far you must be away to remain safe. When I was in Hawaii, one of the Thunderbird jets had a small leak and we all had to evacuate the area until it was contained. My husband at the time was on the team.

    Report Post » COFemale  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:08pm

    I pray that everyone is safe. But the pilots don’t have a lot of time when things go wrong. Evidently it wrong in a hurry.

    Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:44pm

      first words out of the pilots mouth, I am so sorry. amazing prayers to all

      Report Post »  
  • PATTY HENRY
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:05pm

    Parachutes? Two of them? Plane crashes into APARTMENT COMPLEX? I’ve had the pleasure of meeting pilot who survived but still managed to guide plane away from population. LET’S PRAY that no one was injured.

    Report Post » PATTY HENRY  
    • okredstate
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:17pm

      No way, the pilots heard obama was giving out some government money in the complex and they tried to stop him. Easily worth the cost of the jet.

      Report Post »  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:14pm

      If the steering system goes, all you need is a jammed rudder or ailerons and then there’s nothing you can do. One of the witnesses said that the tail was lower than the cockpit, which to me, is a strong indication that the controls were dead.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
  • COFemale
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:01pm

    I pray that no one has lost their life, but I am afraid this might not be true. It does appear that the pilots ejected safely.

    Report Post » COFemale  
    • SoupSammich
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:23pm

      That area around Birdneck is heavily populated, was there yesterday. Hopefully no one was home. This will just energize the area libs that don’t like military- the NIMBY’s will be all over it too. Sad. Time will tell. “I love the sound of jet noize” bumper stickers are all over that area too…

      Report Post »  
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