Remembering the FA-18 that crashed into a San Diego neighborhood

I wrote this in December 2008 when an FA-18 crashed into a home wiping out a man's entire family, including his mother in law, wife, and babies.  To me, this seems like just yesterday and can't believe it's been almost 6 years since that happened..  I used to work in the area at that time.

At about noon Pacific Standard Time, an FA-18 military aircraft crashed into a neighborhood in the northern part of San Diego called University City. The plane crashed into a home on Huggins Street near Cather Avenue near highway I-805 just east of Genesse avenue. Witnesses say that the plane pretty much broke one house in two and set fire to at least two other homes. Some vehicles were also set on fire. Debris was widely strewn all over the area. Nearby residents were evacuated due to toxic fumes in the area and as of the time of this writing, they are still locked out of the area. 

The pilot ejected and landed near University City High School. He appeared mostly uninjured and asked a civilian for a cell phone to call his batallion commander. According to the civilian, the pilot seemed very concerned about where his plane landed. He was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Apparently, he was on a Marine training mission, flying offshore from the U.S.S. Lincoln when one of his engines failed. Since he was not allowed to land on the carrier, he decided to make a landing at the Miramar air base inland. He was on final approach, about two miles away from the airstrip near Governor Drive, when the other engine went out and the plane began to drop suddenly and that's when he ejected.

Four people, all family members from the home first hit by the aircraft have been confirmed dead. They consisted of a grandmother, mother and two very small children. The family had just moved there to have a bigger house for their growing family. The husband and father of the mother and children was at work when this happened.