Military Plane Crashes Into Florida Homes

chadtm80 · #1 Postby **chadtm80** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 11:14 pm

No Serious Injuries Reported

VALPARAISO, Fla. -- There are no serious injuries, after the crash of a military training jet into a pair of homes in Valparaiso, Fla.

A spokeswoman for Eglin Air Force Base nearby says there were people inside the homes, but no one was hurt. The pilot ejected safely with only minor injuries.

No word yet what went wrong.

The plane was a T-38. It's the type of plane NASA uses as a trainer for astronauts preparing for shuttle missions.

#2 Postby **vbhoutex** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 11:15 pm

OMG!!! That is where my Mom used to live!!! She is still in the area, but in Niceville now!!

northweststormchaser · #3 Postby **northweststormchaser** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 11:17 pm

We must be at war in Fla

#4 Postby **streetsoldier** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 12:28 am

I guess all those palm trees must have fooled the pilot into believing he was over Baghdad?

JQ Public · #5 Postby **JQ Public** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 12:37 am

lol bill

sunny shine · #6 Postby **sunny shine** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 12:40 am

One of the homes that was hit, the family was at home. One of the rooms destroyed is where the lady usually paints in the evening. She abandoned her efforts that particular day because of a headache. How ironic is that?

Her children said "They always knew that living near the base could bring about disaster, but was in hopes it would never happen". Well, there is a first time for everything. Thankfully no one was injured or killed, including the pilot. Can you imagine what he was thinking or feeling knowing he had to eject and that plane was heading towards a neighborhood? I can't imagine.

Not to mention with everything that is going on today, I can't imagine what those people thought at that exact moment when the plane crashed. Knowing they live next to a potential target. Goodness.

JQ Public · #7 Postby **JQ Public** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 1:03 am

Ouch...sure didn't help her headache

#8 Postby **vbhoutex** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 10:56 am

sunny shine wrote:One of the homes that was hit, the family was at home. One of the rooms destroyed is where the lady usually paints in the evening. She abandoned her efforts that particular day because of a headache. How ironic is that?

Her children said "They always knew that living near the base could bring about disaster, but was in hopes it would never happen". Well, there is a first time for everything. Thankfully no one was injured or killed, including the pilot. Can you imagine what he was thinking or feeling knowing he had to eject and that plane was heading towards a neighborhood? I can't imagine.

Not to mention with everything that is going on today, I can't imagine what those people thought at that exact moment when the plane crashed. Knowing they live next to a potential target. Goodness.

Those AF pilots at Eglin AFB are some the best trained in the world!!! That pilot had done all he could to save himself and those on the ground when he finally bailed out-I can guarantee that!! I am so thankful no one was hurt!! The area closest to the base is a really close knit community and when something tragic happens it affects the whole community.

FYI, Eglin is also the place where all of the US's "smart bombs's" and the like are developed. That base covers a good 1/4 of NW FL and almost all of it is off limits due to the sensitivity of the work and training that is done there. When you fly into the commercial airport stuck in the corner of the base there are only 2 corridors that the planes can fly in to get to the runways. Once on one of the runways(N-S) the plane taxis for 2 miles to get to the terminal! The E-W runway is almost 3 miles long if I remember correctly and can actually handle multiple landings if needed and of course can handle any plane in the world for takeoff and landing. When using that runway the plane has to taxi almost a mile before it can make it's takeoff run because it has to get past the arresting cables that cross the runway next to the area the T-38's train from.

Many times the "secret" planes being developed at Area 51 fly in there unnanounced. My dad saw the F117 etc. a full 1.5 yrs. before they were made public. He died in 1999 and had told me before that that he had seen what he was sure was the "Aurora" plane which is still supposedly under development.

And you are so right about what the family must have thought!!! There is a constant sound of jet's taking off and landing and sometimes you can hear the ordinance tests in the distance(sounds like thunder). If you live in the area long enough, you automatically know when a plane is in trouble just from the sound difference. Being a prime target area is an understatement!!

Rainband · #9 Postby **Rainband** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:13 am

I am just Glad no one was injured badly :wink:

Johnathan 8)

Military Plane Crashes Into Florida Homes

Military Plane Crashes Into Florida Homes

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