San Diego: F-18 Down in San Diego Neighborhood

Update: Memorial Service - From 7:30 to 8:30 Wednesday evening, the victims' house of worship, Korean United Methodist Church, 3520 Mount Acadia Blvd., is holding a memorial service for the late members of the Yoon family. The public is invited.
A trust fund is in the process of being established for Dong Yoon, however, until then, donations can be written out and sent to:Dong Yoon
c/o Korean United Methodist Church
3520 Mt. Acadia Blvd.
San Diego, CA 921

Update: The disaster left about a half-dozen homes near the two gutted houses temporarily uninhabitable. Most of the affected residents were able to return by Tuesday evening.

The Marine Corps has taken charge of the cordoned-off crash scene, said USMC Cpl. Frances Goch of the MCAS Miramar public affairs office.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is heading the probe into the cause of the accident, she said. Investigators from the Naval Safety Center traveled from Norfolk, Va., are assisting in gathering evidence.County hazardous-materials personnel were aiding the military in making sure no toxic substances, including remnants of fiberglass and jet fuel, create public health hazards.
Military officials initially predicted they would be at the scene for five to seven days, but have since revised that timeline upwards to as much as two weeks.

Update: Dec 10, 2008 6:00 am - Dong Yun Yoon said goodbye to his wife and baby in their driveway as he left for work Monday, about three hours before the fighter jet clipped a jacaranda tree, bounced off the pavement and crashed into the Yoons' home.

"I saw their last kiss," said Michael Rose, a neighbor and retired photographer. "I thought, `What a beautiful sight,' and then later in the day they were just gone."

The victims: Young Mi Yoon, 36; her daughters Grace, 15 months, and Rachel, 2 months; and her mother, Suk Im Kim, 60.

Update: 12-10-08 - Investigators found the remains of a fourth person in the rubble, a child 15 months old. Neighbors were in shock at the tragedy that befell the child's family Monday, hours after the father kissed his wife and baby goodbye in the driveway.

The twin-engine F/A-18D Hornet went down about 2 miles from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Officials searched debris yesterday near the remains of an F/A-18D fighter jet that crashed in the University City neighborhood of San Diego on Monday. The plane destroyed two houses and killed four members of a family. Several other houses were damaged. (Fred Greaves/Reuters)

Update: 12-09-08 13:30hrs - Missing Child's Remains Found In Home Destroyed In Jet Crash
The body of the missing 1-year-old child has been found in the rubble of a
University City home destroyed in a fighter jet crash.

Update: Cadaver dog aids in search and recovery today, Some hazmat related problems.

Update: The Hornet jet fighter lost power in both engines before crash in San Diego neighborhood.
A congressional aide says the engines failed on a military jet fighter before the aircraft crashed and burned in a San Diego neighborhood.

The aide -- speaking on condition of anonymity -- says the pilot of the twin-engine F/A-18D Hornet was attempting to land at the Miramar Marine base after his right engine malfunctioned, shortly thereaafter the while the pilot was on final approach to the runway the aircraft also lost thrust from its left engine.

Update: Three Confirmed Dead In F/A-18 Residential Crash and search resumes for 1 year old infant child, the young child is still missing and was believed to be in a home where three people died when the jet crashed around noon yesterday, Two children, a mother and a grandmother were believed to be inside the home, but fire officials did not immediately know who died.
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Two killed after F-18 military jet crashed in a residential neighborhood of San Diego shorty before Noon today.

At least two homes and cars burning near the Interstate 805 freeway. Pilot ejected and is safe and was later found hanging by his parachute from a tree in a canyon beneath the crash site, He remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The pilot of the jet, who was on a training mission off the carrier Abraham Lincoln, had been ordered to fly to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar rather than return to the ship after one of its engines failed.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane crashed shortly before noon Monday as it prepared to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The crash occurred two miles from the base.

Gregor says the pilot ejected before the crash near Interstate 805. He does not know the pilot's condition or how many people were aboard.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque says he doesn't know if anyone on the ground has been injured.

Miramar Naval Base, well known for its role in the movie "Top Gun," is home to some 10,000 United States Marines. The U.S. Navy operated it until 1996.
The F-18 Super Hornet is naval multi-role supersonic attack fighter.

The jet has been plagued by problems recently causing the Navy to recently inspect hundreds of the F/A-18 Hornets built by Boeing after discovering "fatigue cracks" on more than a dozen aircraft.

Last month, the Navy grounded ten of the $57 million jets and placed flight restrictions on 20 more until repairs could be made.
Photos: CBS2