the most credible account so far that matches the other's I've read/heard.

"Plane took off, once it gained some altitude and retracted gear I looked away, Then I heard several loud POPs and from that point on, you can hear the engine RPM drop and fluctuate . I turned back to see the plane flying low and slow with a nose up about 20 degrees and dropping altitude with flames coming out of either one or both engine exhausts, Pilot and WSO Ejected and the plane dipped into the buildings below"

Skate, thought I had a link for video, but it's been taken down. The account you mention matches what I'd heard as well- I'm curious to see what the reaction is going to be from the public, especially since the Navy's been warning about/ fighting against encroachment for a very long time.

the "Anti-Jet-Noise" group is already all over this... and 3 days ago they were complaining about the flying late at night.


also images from the site, one nozzle is open, one is closed, but this is after about 5 explosions, the initial impact, and about 4 hours of being hit with fire foam.

sounds like a catastrophic bird strike.

Maybe compressor stalls?

106 was just here in town for some training.

MSNBC is reporting that a local
witness told the network the jet crashed into a local two-story
apartment building. They are also reporting that two individuals have
been admitted to nearby Sentara Virginia Beach Hospital in connection
with the crash, according to a public information officer at the
facility. One of the individuals is reportedly one of the two pilots who
ejected form the plane, while another is a civilian who is suffering
from smoke inhalation.
"He was in shock and still strapped to his seat," Volunteer rescue squad member Pat Kavanaugh told CNN affiliate WTKR.


still strapped to his seat? (Ive no idea how modern ejection systems work)

Navy Confirmed that they were dumping fuel when they knew they weren't gonna make it to the water or back to the airfield, at 150 feet they would have never made it through the buildings at the beach anyway.

Yes, the WSO was fine, Pilot was still in his seat when he was found. Im not 100% sure, but i think the F-18D's ejection sequence has the WSO departing first then the Pilot, they were already below 150 feet when they punched, so as soon as the canopy was jettisoned and the WSO was ejected the pilot prolly didnt leave the aircraft until a few seconds later and had enough time to open his chute.

I don't know 100% either but I think it can't happen and have the crewmember survive. The seat goes, the chute open/seat separation takes place almost at the same time. The seats are heavy enough that the chute wouldn't save him if he had in fact landed in it. I think it was probably the seat pack not the actual seat that was attached to the pilot they found. Plus they found two empty seats that presumably were empty when they hit the ground. At least one impacted a building, they weren't in em.

if he was only 130 feet from the ground, in the seat, with a partially deployed chute, the chair would have absorbed most of the impact. leaving him with minor/moderate injuries. seeing as he had to be helped out of the chair, he may have had broken legs.