F/A-18 crash at NAS Key West

[Airbubba]

Navy F/A-18 jet crashes in Key West

By Gwen Filosa
[email protected]

March 14, 2018 05:59 PM

A U. S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jet crashed in the water on the property of Naval Air Station Key West late Wednesday afternoon.

At around 4:30 p.m., one pilot ejected from the jet, according to Adam Linhardt, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. It’s unclear if there were one or two crewmembers in the plane.

Witnesses said it appeared the plane had some sort of explosion in the air.

“I saw the fire and then it just dropped,” said Barbie Wilson, who lives nearby and was driving when she saw the plane turn sideways and then burst into flames.

“In the air, I saw fire,” Wilson said.

Navy F-18 jet crashes in Key West | FL Keys News (http://www.flkeysnews.com/news/local/article205190754.html)

[CONSO]

Navy F-18 jet crashes in Key West | FL Keys News (http://www.flkeysnews.com/news/local/article205190754.html)

By Gwen Filosa And David Goodhue
[email protected]
[email protected]






March 14, 2018 05:59 PM
Updated 3 minutes ago

A U. S. Navy F/A-18F fighter jet crashed in the water on the property of Naval Air Station Key West late Wednesday afternoon.
The plane is a two-seater and both crew members ejected alive, said Cmdr. Dave Hecht, public affairs officer for Naval Air Force Atlantic.
Their medical condition as of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night was “status unknown,” Hecht said.
“The plane was on approach,” he said.

[Airbubba]

Some sad news :(:


Lucas Tomlinson

@LucasFoxNews

BREAKING: Navy says both aviators killed in F/A-18 Super Hornet crash off Key West, Florida this afternoon

https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/974103463171850241

https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/974073864408977408

[Airbubba]

The aircraft was from VFA-213 based at Navy Oceana.

Statement from AIRLANT:

F/A-18F Crash Off Coast of Florida

An F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed on final approach to Boca Chica Field, Naval Air Station, Key West, Florida at approximately 4:30 pm eastern time today.

Search and rescue crews were notified shortly after the crash where they recovered both the pilot and weapons systems officer from the water approximately one mile east of the runway. Both were taken by ambulance to Lower Keys Medical Center.

Both aviators have been declared deceased. Per Department of Defense policy, the names of the aviators are being withheld until 24 hours after next-of- kin notification.

The F/A-18F is a dual-seated aircraft assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron Two One Three (VFA-213) based at Naval Air Station Oceana and was conducting a training flight.

The cause of the mishap is currently under investigation.

[josephfeatherweight]

Very sad - how do you bang out successfully but not survive?
Outside seat envelope? Condolences to those involved and affected.

[junior.VH-LFA]

Very sad - how do you bang out successfully but not survive?
Outside seat envelope? Condolences to those involved and affected.

You’d have to imagine so, perhaps drowning.

Must have been awful, poor lads.

Blue skies gents.

[A_Van]

Sad news. Condolences to families and friends. Looks like the ejection envelope has some serious constraints since both have not survived.

[ORAC]

Hard to tell without knowing the nature of the emergency and what happened on finals. It could have been something which caused a loss of control and a roll or inversion outside limits.

[glad rag]

Is it a one piece canopy?
RIP gents.

[ORAC]

Yes.

http://c7.alamy.com/comp/HX0N4T/fa-18f-super-hornet-on-the-runway-at-avalon-airshow-australia-canopy-HX0N4T.jpg

[Marty33]

From a friend in the Navy, single engine approach with the second engine failing at low altitude. No other details...

[Lonewolf_50]

@Marty:
Training sortie or a real one engine out approach?


For the crew:
You fly now with the angels, my friends. RIP.


From Eternal Father:
O Spirit, whom the Father sent
To spread abroad the firmament.
Oh wind of heaven, by Thy might
Save all who dare the eagle's flight.
And keep them by thy watchful care
From every peril in the air

[oldmansquipper]

Sad sad day. RIP folks. 😢

All sorts of possibilities leading to successful ejection but no 'Survival' .....especially rolling at low altitude. I do hope it's not as a result of 'practicing' asymmetric approaches. Surely that lesson has been hard learned by now?

[gums]

Agreed, Oldman.

The roll can make a helluva difference upon your survival. So you get a half open chute but still hit the ground or water hard enuf to break things.

The guy before me with the leading edge flap failure slowed down to "flare' but did not realize the amount of increased yaw moment and decrease of roll authority as he slowed. he ejected at a serious roll angle so didn't make it. We knew that he didn't make it, but did not get a good debrief from the EPG country involved on all the details. Years later I got the "word" from someone on "F-16.net" and thanked God one more time for my successful landing with that flap folded up.

http://www.sluf.org/misc_pages/rightwing.jpg

My bio on the forum has the video of the landing. I started to get slow, but kept speed up and simply "planted" the jet on the runway.

Our seats are really good, but still have some envelopes, even today.

The crash results of this one sucks, simple as that.

Gums sends...

[West Coast]

Good lord Gums, trying to envision what control inputs you must of had to keep her wings level.

I’m sure an adult libation or two was consumed after the fact.

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Sad sad day. RIP folks. 😢

All sorts of possibilities leading to successful ejection but no 'Survival' .....especially rolling at low altitude. I do hope it's not as a result of 'practicing' asymmetric approaches. Surely that lesson has been hard learned by now?

Unlikely - in addition to rumour mill (one donk failed, then the other), photos show the wreckage with the hook extended, suggesting he was going to take the wire (perhaps because he had no braking capability following the first engine failure).

[Airbubba]

Photos of our fallen aviators in the article linked below. :(

Navy identifies 2 aviators killed in F/A-18 jet crash off Key West
By Stephen Sorace | Fox News

The U.S. Navy has identified the two aviators who died Wednesday after their F/A-18F Super Hornet jet crashed off the coast of Key West, Fla.

The aviators have been identified as Lt. Cmdr. James Brice Johnson and Lt. Caleb Nathaniel King, who served in the “Blacklions” of Strike Fighter Squadron Two One Three (VFA-213), the Naval Air Force Atlantic said in a news release Thursday.

“The entire Blacklion Family is grieving the loss of two great Americans. Lt. Cmdr. Johnson and Lt. King were phenomenal young men, exceptional Naval Aviators, and were living models of what Honor, Courage, and Commitment really mean,” said VFA-213’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Kevin Robb.

Johnson was piloting the jet, while King served as the weapons systems operator, the Navy said.

King also played inside linebacker for the football team at the U.S. Naval Academy from 2009 to 2011, appearing in 38 games, the Capital Gazette of Annapolis, Md., reported.

Upon their final approach to Boca Chica Field at Naval Air Station Key West, the aviators ejected from the twin-engine jet, which crashed around 4:30 p.m. A source told Fox News that the jet was flying back on one engine when it lost the other at low altitude.

"As warfighters they excelled in combat, as Naval Officers they exemplified the qualities of what our Navy values most dear,” Robb said. “I was extremely proud to have led, flown, and served with both Brice and Caleb.”

Johnson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2007 while King graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2012. They were both Florida residents based at Naval Air Station Oceana and assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eight.

According to the Navy’s statement, the Super Hornet remains in the water at the crash site while a Mishap Investigation Board continues its investigation.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and squadron mates of these two aviators," said Rear Adm. Roy J. Kelley, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic. "A full investigation will be conducted to discover the cause of this mishap."

Navy identifies 2 aviators killed in F/A-18 jet crash off Key West | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/16/navy-identifies-2-aviators-killed-in-fa-18-jet-crash-off-key-west.html)

[gums]

Tnx, Bubba,

The hook may have been down for two reasons.
- approach trap at reasonable speed
- departure end due to high speed on one motor

My VooDoo single engine approach speed was so high that the drag chute would rip off if you pulled the handle too soon. And our hook was a wimpy thing for the other end of the rwy at a slow speed.

On my LEF failure I advised tower that I might need the other end trap because I was 40 knots above normal approach for weight, etc. I had no idea of the immense drag until after planting the thing and slowing down without a touch of brakes. Mid-field turnoff as you can see on the video.

Whole incident disturbs me, and my feeling is the hydraulics or whatever went tits up and the jet rolled real quick.

I can tell you that my LEF did not fold until I was passing 160 knots or so on takeoff, just as gear coming up. I stopped at about 180 or 190 due to vibration and uncommanded roll tendency to assess the situation and stayed there! You know, still flying so don't change much. Turned out I had about 1 pound of roll authority, and almost blew it at the end if I had slowed down below 170 knots. Our Vipers had recorders and the engineers could see what control pressures I used, and when.

I feel bad about those guys, and I hope the thing was complete loss of control due to motors or other things, and not a late decision.

So Gums throws a nickel on the grass, actually two.

[Lonewolf_50]

The roll can make a helluva difference upon your survival. So you get a half open chute but still hit the ground or water hard enuf to break things.

The guy before me with the leading edge flap failure slowed down to "flare' but did not realize the amount of increased yaw moment and decrease of roll authority as he slowed. he ejected at a serious roll angle so didn't make it. . That's what crossed my mind when I first read of this mishap.

[Paul C]

Hi Gums,
can you please elaborate on your phrase of 'throwing a nickel on the grass', it is not something I have heard before and am curious of the meaning / inference.
Cheers Paul

[rvusa]

Do a 'Google' search :-
Chorus
Oh, Halleliua, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass--Save a fighter pilot's ass.
Oh, Halleliua, Oh, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass and you'll be saved.

[ORAC]

Within the U.S. Air Force fighter pilot community, the term "throw a nickel on the grass ..."
embodies an expression of mutual respect and good luck from one warrior to another. It stems from the refrain of an old Korean War barroom ballad… "Throw a nickel on the grass, save a fighter pilot's ass" and was later immortalized by an unknown author's closing words in his Tribute to the Fighter Pilot …

So here's a nickel on the grass to you, my friend, and your spirit, enthusiasm, sacrifice and courage - but most of all to your friendship. Your's is a dying breed and when you are gone, the world will be a lesser place."

Throw a Nickel On the Grass…Save a Fighters Pilot’s Ass (https://fightersweep.com/6490/throw-nickel-grass-save-fighters-pilots-ass/)

Oh, Halleliua, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass–Save a fighter pilot’s ass.
Oh, Halleliua, Oh, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass and you’ll be saved.

I was cruising down the Yalu, doing six and twenty per
When a call came from the Major, Oh won ‘t you save me sir?
Got three flak holes in my wing tips, and my tanks ain’t got no gas.
Mayday, mayday, mayday, I got six MIGS on my ass.

I shot my traffic pattern, and to me it looked all right,
The airspeed read one-thirty, I really racked it tight!
Then the airframe gave a shudder, the engine gave a wheeze,
Mayday, mayday, mayday, spin instructions please.

It was split S on my Bomb run, and I got too God Damn low
But I pressed that bloody button, and I let those babies go
Sucked the stick back fast as blazes, when I hit a high speed stall
I won’t see my mother when the work all done next fall.

They sent me down to Pyongyang, the brief said “no ack ack”
by the time that I arrived there, my wings was mostly flak.
Then my engine coughed and sputtered, it was too cut up to fly
Mayday, mayday, mayday, I’m too young to die.

I bailed out from the Sabre, and the landing came out fine
With my E and E equipment, I made for our front line.
When I opened up ration, to see what was in it,
The God damn quartermaster why he filled the tin with grit.

[Paul C]

Thanks rvusa and ORAC,
being a mere sapper I was unaware of that connection.

On to the F/18, I watched an online video (now unable to find it) recorded by a man and woman paddling around the crash in their canoe. It appears from their conversation that the crash had happened less than 15 min prior, that another jet was still circling overhead, the SAR bird had not yet arrived, and there was strangely no mention of the crew. The aircraft had broken apart immediately in front of the air intakes and remained in 2 main parts, both upside down.

Paul

[gums]

Salute, Paul!

Sorry I assumed that most here were aviators or familiar with the terms we use without thinking of other folks' background.

The nickel on the grass toasts have been around since the 50's, and I was sure that the Blokes and others would have also picked up on it due to exchange assignments and such.

The Jeremiah Weed toasts came about much later, like 1980. This blog even has pics of our fallen comrades, and the traditional nickel next to the bottle of Weed.

https://fightersweep.com/1233/fighter-pilot-traditions-jeremiah-weed/

One of my combat flight members borrowed an English toast and modified it for our own use at reunions when we toast our missing wingmen.

So hold your goblets steady,
For we come from a brotherhood that flies,
Here's a toast to the dead already,
And a low, fast pass for the next man that dies!!

Gums sends...

[Paul C]

Cheers Gums

Just goes to show that you learn something new every day, I'm a very keen aviation tragic but that had somehow slipped me by. As an aside, one of my long term projects is the restoration of a Vietnam veteran Grumman Mohawk cockpit section.

Regards Paul