An F-18 Super Hornet has crashed at Virgina Beach this morning. A/C was on takeoff with a full fuel load. A/C became airborne and started making popping noises, witnesses smelled fuel, and the A/C was flying in a nose up attitude. Photos of the port turbine show the turkey feathers closed (mil power or shut down) and the starboard turkey feathers open (afterburner or idle).

    Conjecture-A/C was in an afterburner takeoff (they usualy are) with a full fuel load, port turbine dined on a few sea gulls/cranes, developed indigestion and shut down...shut down turbine in afterburner setting was dumping an awful lot of unburnt fuel out the arse end (aircrew was probably dumping all the fuel(weight) they could)...couldn't get the wings to flap fast enough so pilot and RIO ejected. Starboard turbine was either in full afterburner while attempting to relight the port turbine or the pilot reduced the power in the starboard turbine to flight idle before turning the aircraft loose-the pilot did not want the crewless A/C to go much further.

     Yeah...I have watched a lot of episodes of JAG.