REGION: Marine Corps outlines jet crash investigation

Three-pronged probe will examine what went wrong in fatal accident

By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer | Friday, December 12, 2008 7:47 PM PST ∞

U.S. Marine Corps officials on Friday outlined some of the steps they will take in the investigation into the crash of an F/A-18D fighter jet on Monday that killed four members of a South Korean immigrant family.

The crash has prompted calls from residents of San Diego's University City neighborhood, where the plane went down, to direct future disabled aircraft away from populated areas. The jet was about two miles short of the runway at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.

Residents suggested that troubled flights should be directed to North Island Naval Air Station or unpopulated San Clemente Island, where the Navy maintains a runway. One available approach at North Island would not fly over any residences.

Monday's crash on Cather Avenue came after a Marine lieutenant nearing the end of his training reported a rare double-engine failure. He lost the first engine shortly after taking off from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the second as he crossed the coastline on final approach to Miramar.

Killed in the fire that engulfed their home were Young Mi Yoon and her daughters, 2-month-old Rachel and 15-month-old Grace, and Young's mother, Seokim Kim. They will be buried Saturday.

Cleanup of the crash site continued Friday and is expected to last about 10 more days, Miramar commander Col. Chris O'Connor told a crowd of more than 250 neighborhood residents at a community meeting Thursday evening.

In the meantime, Miramar officials said Friday that a three-pronged probe of Monday's crash is being conducted, including an investigation by a military Aviation Mishap Board, the Naval Safety Center Investigations and a judge advocate general investigation.

Members of the Naval Safety Center Investigation team are all Navy or Marine officers or former pilots who each have more than 1,500 hours flight time.

The mishap board includes at least five people, including a senior officer from outside the squadron involved in the accident, a flight surgeon, the squadron aviation safety officer and a maintenance and operations officer. One of the members is a pilot experienced in flying the F/A-18D.

The judge advocate general portion of the probe will look at the pilot and all those involved in the maintenance and care of the plane. Marine Corps officials have not said when the plane was manufactured or when its engines were installed. This portion of the investigation will include sworn statements by all those involved, as well as the information from the engineering investigation and the flight data recorder.

The findings of the judge advocate general investigation will be released as soon as it is completed, Miramar officials said.

By law, the report from the Aviation Mishap Board is kept secret.

"No blame is assigned and no punishments are given based upon the findings of the mishap investigation report," Miramar officials said in response to an inquiry from the North County Times. "It is done solely for the purpose of finding the cause of an accident and recommending measures to prevent reoccurrences."

The overall investigation into what caused the crash is expected to take several months. The aircraft wreckage has been taken to Miramar, where technicians will reconstruct as much of the plane as they can.

The Miramar Marine Corps Air Station was criticized during the community meeting for not having sufficient information on its Web site about the crash and where residents affected can get answers. In response, the site was updated Friday and a message of condolence from O'Connor was posted.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the people who live and work in the community surrounding the air station," O'Connor wrote. "We will do everything we can to ease the suffering of the community and speed the recovery process."

The burial service for the family that was killed when the jet struck their home begins at 1 p.m. this afternoon at Glen Abbey Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3838 Bonita Road, Bonita.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.