Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during a scheduled training flight from Runway 05R at NAS Oceana. Seconds after becoming airborne, the right engine suffered a catastrophic failure when a fuel leak allowed fuel to enter the engine intake, sparking a fire. The crew followed standard emergency procedures and shut down the right engine while selecting maximum thrust on the left engine to maintain flight. However, the left engine also failed to provide sufficient thrust because its afterburner failed to light, an issue investigators determined was unrelated to the first engine's failure. With both engines failing to sustain flight, the crew began dumping fuel to reduce the aircraft's weight and mitigate the fire risk upon impact. Eyewitnesses reported the aircraft flying at an extremely low altitude with a high nose attitude, appearing to strain for lift. The pilots remained with the aircraft until the last possible moment, reportedly to ensure it cleared a nearby school, before ejecting at an altitude of only 50 feet. The Hornet crashed into the Mayfair Mews complex, destroying three buildings and damaging two others. One pilot was found on the roof of a house, still attached to his parachute and covered in blood; he reportedly apologized to a resident for the destruction of their home.
Final Conclusions
Navy investigators concluded the crash was caused by two independent and unrelated engine failures occurring in rapid succession. The right engine failed due to a fuel leak that caused an internal fire, while the left engine failed to produce necessary emergency thrust because the afterburner did not ignite. Rear Admiral Ted Branch noted that this was the first recorded instance of such an unrelated dual engine mishap in the history of the F/A-18 Hornet. The crew's actions in dumping fuel and delaying ejection were credited with preventing ground fatalities.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
General Electric F404-GE-402 Engines
The twin engines powering the Hornet; both failed during the climb due to independent mechanical and ignition issues.
Fuel Dump System
Used by the crew in the final seconds to reduce the weight of the aircraft and the volume of flammable liquid at the impact site.
Afterburner
The left engine's afterburner failed to light, preventing the aircraft from maintaining altitude on a single engine.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was built in 1987 and had approximately 6,500 airframe hours.
- 02Seven people were injured in total: both pilots and five residents or bystanders on the ground.
- 03Three apartment buildings were destroyed and two were damaged, leaving 40 units uninhabitable.
- 04The pilots ejected at only 50 feet (15 meters) above ground level.
- 05The Navy provided immediate relief payments of $2,300 per resident to those displaced by the crash.
- 06The aircraft carried the modex AD-410, though some early reports incorrectly identified it as AD-411.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Emergency Financial Assistance
The Navy established a claims office within 48 hours to provide immediate cash payments to displaced residents for food, clothing, and temporary housing.