http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html On this day, shortly before noon, an FA-18 fighter jet from Miramar MCAS crashed just three blocks from our house. I heard two loud pops like gunshots, then a dull thump followed by a very large boom. I grabbed my camera and ran outside to investigate. Later I learned that the jet had plowed through two houses, destroying them instantly. Several other homes were damaged. Four people in one home were killed -- one poor man lost his entire family. A very sad and tragic day. Our prayers go out to the people affected by this tragedy. Click here to see photos by Ron Belanger, who lives on the other side of the crash site. Return to Ray’s photo album list http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html#0 197418e3-ccf5-499e-b6e3-bcf3478781d1 http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_20/thumb.jpg http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_20/micro.jpg <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_135_70"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-top: 0pt; " class="Caption">w8261_20<br/></p><p class="Caption"><span class="style_4"><br/></span></p><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; " class="Caption"><span class="style_4">December 8, 2008 -- This is the sight I saw looking west from in front of our house. Before I grabbed the camera, there were more flames visible.</span></p></div></div> http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html#1 2079679c-6e7f-4399-bbb7-7cbf2e6e6c76 http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_21/thumb.jpg http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_21/micro.jpg <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_135_70"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-top: 0pt; " class="Caption">w8261_21<br/></p><p class="Caption"><span class="style_4"><br/></span></p><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; " class="Caption"><span class="style_4">December 8, 2008 -- I ran up the street, not knowing what had happened. All I knew was that it was bad! Several smaller booms and pops could be heard coming from the fire. I think these sounds were from tires popping on burning cars.</span></p></div></div> http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html#2 31a67653-453c-4f96-b3c7-976a86c785d0 http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_22/thumb.jpg http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_22/micro.jpg <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_135_70"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-top: 0pt; " class="Caption">w8261_22<br/></p><p class="Caption"><span class="style_4"><br/></span></p><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; " class="Caption"><span class="style_4">December 8, 2008 -- When I got there, someone was trying to back this truck away from the fire, but a large piece of metal from the plane was jammed underneath it.</span></p></div></div> http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html#3 f5900e26-ea76-4e3a-9cd2-559c7605d601 http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_23/thumb.jpg http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_23/micro.jpg <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_135_70"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-top: 0pt; " class="Caption">w8261_23<br/></p><p class="Caption"><span class="style_4"><br/></span></p><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; " class="Caption"><span class="style_4">December 8, 2008 -- At this point, it looked like most of the fire and debris was in the street. What I could not see was that two houses on the left hand side of the street had been destroyed by the impact, and then the debris ended up in the street.</span></p></div></div> http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html#4 3bf1228c-8524-4986-8ad5-c5f799e0f478 http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_24/thumb.jpg http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_24/micro.jpg <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_135_70"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-top: 0pt; " class="Caption">w8261_24<br/></p><p class="Caption"><span class="style_4"><br/></span></p><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; " class="Caption"><span class="style_4">December 8, 2008 -- Another view of the destruction. Unknown to me, the worst devastation was beyond the fire and smoke at the left edge of the picture. Note the fragments of the plane lying all around. One of the engines ended up in the front yard of a house on the right side of the street.</span></p></div></div> http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash.html#5 f971ce69-a689-47cd-87ac-82dae6b8cfd9 http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_25/thumb.jpg http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/FA-18_Crash_files/Media/w8261_25/micro.jpg <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_135_70"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-top: 0pt; " class="Caption">w8261_25<br/></p><p class="Caption"><span class="style_4"><br/></span></p><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; " class="Caption"><span class="style_4">December 8, 2008 -- After shooting this photo I went with a couple other guys to check out a parachute that was spotted in the canyon to the north. We found an empty ejection seat, and searched for the occupant. Later I learned that the pilot had landed elsewhere, and the seat we found was the jet&#x2019;s second, empty seat.</span></p></div></div>