JULY 27, 2009 - A pilot suffered moderate injuries after his single-engine plane crashed on Guejito Ranch in Valley Center, authorities said. The crash was reported at 11:10 a.m., according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. The experimental plane apparently lost power, forcing the pilot to attempt to land on a dirt airstrip at Guejito Ranch, authorities said. The plane flipped over upon landing in a grassy field, however. The pilot was walking around afterward, but was later flown to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla with a head injury, according to a chief for Cal Fire. The plane crash is under investigation, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
MAY 20, 2009 - Three people were killed and two are still missing after a Navy helicopter crash near San Diego late last night. The HH-60 Seahawk that took off from the Nimitz was participating in search-and-rescue training exercises when it crashed 13 miles south of San Diego. The Coast Guard, the Navy, Harbor Police, Customs and Border Protection and the Mexican Navy all took part in search efforts. Three bodies were located near the Coronado Islands today and the two remaining occupants have not been found yet.
MAY 12, 2009 - The victims in Saturday’s plane crash in Barona Mesa have been identified. Paul Clarebout and Chris Coleman were onboard the Bakeng Deuce when the aircraft lost one of its wings and crashed on Mesa Estates Road. Witnesses reported that the pilot was performing aerobatic stunts on the home-built plane before the crash. The NTSB is investigating.
MAY 11, 2009 - Two people were killed in a plane crash in Barona Mesa on Saturday afternoon. The home-built Bakeng Deuce aircraft was performing aerobatics when one of the wings came detached. The plane then crashed, landing on Mesa Estates Road. Both occupants were killed. The plane is registered to a Ramona resident, who was not aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.
MAY 6, 2009 - Two Marines were killed in a helicopter crash last night in East County. The unidentified pilots were training for an upcoming deployment when their Super Cobra military attack helicopter crashed near Kitchen Creek Road and Interstate 8. The aircraft was carrying life ordnance and caused a one-acre brush fire that was quickly extinguished. The victims were part of the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166 and it is believed that the flight departed from La Posta Mountain Warfare Training Facility. The Department of Defense is investigating the crash.
APRIL 16, 2009 - Both passengers in Saturday’s plane crash have been identified. 51-year-old Friedrich Leo Weber and his wife Mary, 58, were killed when their single-engine Piper Comanche crashed near Marine Air Station Miramar on its way to Brown Field. The plane was owned by Mr. Weber but it has not been determined whether he or his wife was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.
APRIL 14, 2009 - Two people died in a plane crash at Marine Air Corps Station Miramar on Saturday. An unidentified male and female were aboard the Piper Comanche that took off from Whiteman Airpark in Pacoima. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the pilot as he was heading to Brown Field Municipal Airport. No distress call was placed before the plane crashed in a hilly area approximately 8 miles northeast of Montgomery Field. Although the identity of the remains has not been made public yet, the plane was registered to Friedrich L. Weber. Friends say he was on his way to obtain medical treatment in Mexico, and his wife may have accompanied him. Both occupants died of severe trauma.
MARCH 11, 2009 - A plane crash on March 6th most likely took the life of its pilot. 70-year-old Steve Froberg was headed to French Valley Airport when his rented Cessna 172 crashed in the Pacific Ocean 35 miles off of Oceanside. Several hours after a boater reported seeing the plane crash, the Coast Guard found some debris in the water. They continued the search the next day, but ceased the efforts by midday. It is believed that Mr. Froberg was the only occupant of the aircraft. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will continue to investigate the incident. The single-engine Cessna 172 is the same type of plane that crashed on March 7th, injuring three in Camp Pendleton.
MARCH 10, 2009 - Three people were injured in a plane crash at Camp Pendleton on Saturday. Pilot Alan Jacobson and passengers David Menne and Scott Jones were heading to San Diego’s Montgomery Field when the single-engine Cessna 172’s engine failed. Mr. Jacobson attempted to land the plane in a clearing, but hit a ravine between Red Beach and Interstate 5 near Las Pulgas Road. The aircraft broke into three pieces. All three occupants were transported to the hospital. Scott Jones was released Sunday night and Mr. Jacobson is now in stable condition. David Menne remains in critical condition at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.
MARCH 4, 2009 - It has been determined that the deadly military jet crash in University City could have been avoided if proper procedures were followed. On December 8, 2008, Lt. Neubauer experienced engine trouble in his F/A-18D Hornet shortly after taking off, and failed to consult his safety checklist, as is procedure. Instead, he shut down his right engine, but that did not solve the fuel problem. An air traffic controller twice offered to direct the aircraft to a runway at North Island Naval Air Station, which would follow the emergency landing procedures and keep the jet over water until landing. However, Lt. Neubauer responded that he was going to attempt to land at Miramar instead. He asked the controller to direct him to the runway there, using a rarely-used route over La Jolla and University City. Since his right engine was disabled, he made a left turn, wasting time and fuel. As he approached the runway and prepared for landing, Lt. Neubauer lost his second engine due to the fuel problem. The jet’s electrical system then failed completely approximately 3 miles away from the runway. He tried to aim the aircraft toward a canyon, but eventually ejected himself. The jet then crashed on Cather Avenue, damaging five homes and killing four people. The victims were 36-year-old Youngmi Lee, her two daughters, 2-month-old Rachel and 15-month-old Grace, and her mother, Seokim Kim, 60.
Marine officials have now publicly stated that landing at North Island would have been the correct action for Lt. Neubauer to take. He has been prohibited from flying while the incident is under review. Four other Marines have been relieved of their duties, and nine others, including one sailor, have been reprimanded. Furthermore, it has now been discovered that mechanics called attention to the jet’s flawed fuel system last July, five months before the fatal crash. However, Marine pilots continued to fly 166 more hours without repairing the issue. Lt. Neubauer was also aware of the jet’s problem. Since the December accident, the Marine Corps has grounded 40 of the aircraft.
$147,000 has been disbursed to 11 families affected by the crash so far. The husband of victim Youngmi Lee has hired an attorney. Residents who live in the area of the crash have formed a group called Citizens Advocating Safe Aviation to persuade the Marines to limit flights over University City.
