thedrifter
01-31-09, 07:43 AM
MILITARY: Claims filed, counseling sought in aftermath of F/A-18 crash
By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY CITY ---- Life along the 4400 block of Cather Avenue has largely returned to normal nearly two months after a Miramar Marine Corps Air Station fighter jet slammed into a house, killing four members of a Korean immigrant family.
The most visible evidence of the F/A-18 crash is a green chain-link fence that surrounds the property where Youngmi Lee, her daughters, Grace and Rachel, and her mother, Seokim Kim, died in the fireball that engulfed the family home after the jet hit the street and careened into it.
Authorities say the Dec. 8, 2008, accident was caused when the jet's two engines failed as the student pilot was en route from an aircraft carrier off the San Diego coast to the military base that is located less than a mile from the densely populated neighborhood.
In the crash's aftermath, the U.S. Marine Corps says it has provided trauma counseling services to four families and paid thousands in emergency economic assistance to people displaced from a resulting fire.
Repeated attempts to obtain how much emergency assistance money was paid out were unsuccessful. Military attorneys working on the matter are asserting that such information is confidential.
The Marine Corps also said it has received nine claims for damages seeking a combined $450,000, with officials anticipating more, including a claim for several million dollars from Dong Yun Yoon, the man whose family was killed and whose house was destroyed.
Yoon, whose expressions of forgiveness for the pilot touched heartstrings nationwide, is still coming to grips with the events of that day, his pastor says.
"He is in a period of deep grief," said Pastor Kevin Lee of the Korean United Methodist Church that the family attended.
A little more than 24 hours after the crash, Yoon encouraged the community to pray for Lt. Dan Neubauer, the student pilot who ejected from the plane moments before it crashed and who suffered minor injuries.
"He is one of our treasures for the country," said Yoon, who was at work when the crash occurred. "I don't blame him. I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could."
A day after Yoon spoke, Marine Corps officials said they were trying to arrange a meeting between the pilot and the grieving father and husband. That meeting has not yet occurred, Lee said.
"Neither side is ready," the pastor said.
The probe
The pieces of the plane were taken to Miramar, where technicians restored it as much as possible so a team of investigators can comb through it to determine why the jet lost power in both engines.
The investigation is a three-pronged probe that includes an examination by a military Aviation Mishap Board, the Naval Safety Center and a judge advocate general investigation.
The Naval Safety Center Investigation team is composed of active-duty military pilots or former pilots who each have more than 1,500 hours of flight time.
The mishap board includes 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.
The judge advocate general portion investigates the pilot and all those involved in the plane's maintenance and care. That part of the investigation includes sworn statements from all involved, as well as 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.
The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to a request from the Marine Corps to withhold release of the radio traffic between Neubauer and flight controllers until Feb. 27, when it is expected to release the recordings. The Marine Corps asked for a delay in making that part of the record public until it was further along in its investigation.
Base spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa said officials are targeting roughly the same date to announce their findings into the official cause of the crash.
Neubauer remains on active duty at Miramar, but is not flying as the investigation proceeds.
The claims
In addition to the Yoon home, one other residence was destroyed by the fire after the crash. At least two other homes sustained damage.
Legal claims are forwarded to the Department of the Navy's Judge Advocate General headquarters in Washington.
"In order to respect the privacy of the individuals involved as well as their legal and financial matters, we are not going into detail about the amount or number of property claims and personal injury claims," spokeswoman Jennifer Zeldis said.
She added the Navy and Marine Corps are working to make sure that everyone who suffered damage files a claim.
Once a claim is received, the government has six months to decide whether to reject it, pay it in full or negotiate a different amount. A claimant who cannot reach an agreement with the government has up to two years to file suit in federal court.
"We continue to distribute fliers in the neighborhood, and we stand ready to help anyone who asks for it," Delarosa said Friday. "One of the troubling things we've found, though, is that some people don't seem to be getting that message. So we are looking at going through the neighborhood again."
Analysis of soil at the crash site continues to show remnants of jet fuel. Soil at the Yoon home will have to be removed and the Marine Corps is working with city and county officials on a cleanup plan, he said.
"Our concern continues to be the health and welfare of the local community," Delarosa said. "As unfortunate as this incident is, a thorough process must be completed. For the next phase, we expect to have site preparation work begin this week and hope to complete the cleanup efforts by early March."
Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.
Ellie
By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY CITY ---- Life along the 4400 block of Cather Avenue has largely returned to normal nearly two months after a Miramar Marine Corps Air Station fighter jet slammed into a house, killing four members of a Korean immigrant family.
The most visible evidence of the F/A-18 crash is a green chain-link fence that surrounds the property where Youngmi Lee, her daughters, Grace and Rachel, and her mother, Seokim Kim, died in the fireball that engulfed the family home after the jet hit the street and careened into it.
Authorities say the Dec. 8, 2008, accident was caused when the jet's two engines failed as the student pilot was en route from an aircraft carrier off the San Diego coast to the military base that is located less than a mile from the densely populated neighborhood.
In the crash's aftermath, the U.S. Marine Corps says it has provided trauma counseling services to four families and paid thousands in emergency economic assistance to people displaced from a resulting fire.
Repeated attempts to obtain how much emergency assistance money was paid out were unsuccessful. Military attorneys working on the matter are asserting that such information is confidential.
The Marine Corps also said it has received nine claims for damages seeking a combined $450,000, with officials anticipating more, including a claim for several million dollars from Dong Yun Yoon, the man whose family was killed and whose house was destroyed.
Yoon, whose expressions of forgiveness for the pilot touched heartstrings nationwide, is still coming to grips with the events of that day, his pastor says.
"He is in a period of deep grief," said Pastor Kevin Lee of the Korean United Methodist Church that the family attended.
A little more than 24 hours after the crash, Yoon encouraged the community to pray for Lt. Dan Neubauer, the student pilot who ejected from the plane moments before it crashed and who suffered minor injuries.
"He is one of our treasures for the country," said Yoon, who was at work when the crash occurred. "I don't blame him. I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could."
A day after Yoon spoke, Marine Corps officials said they were trying to arrange a meeting between the pilot and the grieving father and husband. That meeting has not yet occurred, Lee said.
"Neither side is ready," the pastor said.
The probe
The pieces of the plane were taken to Miramar, where technicians restored it as much as possible so a team of investigators can comb through it to determine why the jet lost power in both engines.
The investigation is a three-pronged probe that includes an examination by a military Aviation Mishap Board, the Naval Safety Center and a judge advocate general investigation.
The Naval Safety Center Investigation team is composed of active-duty military pilots or former pilots who each have more than 1,500 hours of flight time.
The mishap board includes 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.
The judge advocate general portion investigates the pilot and all those involved in the plane's maintenance and care. That part of the investigation includes sworn statements from all involved, as well as 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.
The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to a request from the Marine Corps to withhold release of the radio traffic between Neubauer and flight controllers until Feb. 27, when it is expected to release the recordings. The Marine Corps asked for a delay in making that part of the record public until it was further along in its investigation.
Base spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa said officials are targeting roughly the same date to announce their findings into the official cause of the crash.
Neubauer remains on active duty at Miramar, but is not flying as the investigation proceeds.
The claims
In addition to the Yoon home, one other residence was destroyed by the fire after the crash. At least two other homes sustained damage.
Legal claims are forwarded to the Department of the Navy's Judge Advocate General headquarters in Washington.
"In order to respect the privacy of the individuals involved as well as their legal and financial matters, we are not going into detail about the amount or number of property claims and personal injury claims," spokeswoman Jennifer Zeldis said.
She added the Navy and Marine Corps are working to make sure that everyone who suffered damage files a claim.
Once a claim is received, the government has six months to decide whether to reject it, pay it in full or negotiate a different amount. A claimant who cannot reach an agreement with the government has up to two years to file suit in federal court.
"We continue to distribute fliers in the neighborhood, and we stand ready to help anyone who asks for it," Delarosa said Friday. "One of the troubling things we've found, though, is that some people don't seem to be getting that message. So we are looking at going through the neighborhood again."
Analysis of soil at the crash site continues to show remnants of jet fuel. Soil at the Yoon home will have to be removed and the Marine Corps is working with city and county officials on a cleanup plan, he said.
"Our concern continues to be the health and welfare of the local community," Delarosa said. "As unfortunate as this incident is, a thorough process must be completed. For the next phase, we expect to have site preparation work begin this week and hope to complete the cleanup efforts by early March."
Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.
Ellie