Jet crashes into housing estate
An F-18 military jet crashed in a US neighbourhood today, sparking at least one house fire.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured, said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Television news footage showed one house and two cars on fire.
The plane crashed shortly before noon local time as it prepared to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, said Ian Gregor, a US Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.
The crash occurred two miles from the base.
The pilot ejected, Mr Gregor said.
“We saw two big bangs,” resident Scott Patterson told KNX radio. “The smoke came up. We don’t know what it was.”
The F-18 is a supersonic jet used widely in the Marine Corps and Navy.
Miramar, well known for its role in the movie 'Top Gun', is home to some 10,000 Marines.
It was operated by the Navy until 1996.
