The pilot of a military jet which crashed in California last year, killing four people, opted to fly over populated areas rather than make an emergency landing approach over water, air traffic control tapes revealed Tuesday.
An investigation into the December 8 crash in San Diego showed Marine Corps pilot Dan Neubauer had tried to make an emergency landing at the Miramar base in San Diego rather than attempt to land at a closer alternative, where his approach would have been largely above the Pacific Ocean.
Neubauer ejected safely from his stricken F/A-18D Hornet after his second engine failed.
His plane slammed into a home in the San Diego suburb of University City, killing three generations of a single family: Yoon Young-Mi, 36; her daughters, 15-month-old Grace and seven-week-old Rachel; and Yoon's 60-year-old mother.
According to radio transmission tapes released Tuesday, Neubauer alerted air traffic controllers his jet was in trouble while above the ocean.
"I've got, uh, down to (a) single engine … possibly a problem with the other engine, and time, uh, fuel remaining about, uh, 20 to 30 minutes," the lieutenant advised.
A controller then asked him where he wanted to land, apparently assuming that Neubauer intended to go to Naval Air Station North Island, which was nearer and approachable over water.
"Uh, I'm actually going to try to take it to Miramar, if possible," the pilot responded.
To that statement, the controller replied, "OK, just let me know what you want to do."
After getting direction on what heading to take, Neubauer radioed: "Thank you, and I'm coordinating with, uh, some people on the ground to try and figure out what we're doing."
Shortly afterwards Neubauer's second engine failed, forcing him to bail out in a residential neighborhood not far from where his plane crashed.
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