A U.S. Marine AV-8B Harrier jet crashed in a residential area in Imperial Valley, Southern California, on Wednesday, causing damages to at least two houses and from what we see, a few cars as well, before firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.

Despite the fact that one home was occupied at the time of the crash, nobody on the ground was hurt, while the pilot managed to eject and land safely suffering only minor injuries.

“I saw the pilot eject, then his parachute open. Then, I saw the plane start wobbling and plundering down,” Elias Alarcon, a witness to the crash, told Fox5 San Diego. “I saw the pilot hit the pavement really hard. When I got there, he was unconscious. I thought he was maybe dead.”

According to the Navy, a few hours later, a second jet fighter, a  F/A/-18E Super Hornet, crashed off the coast of California at around 10 pm on Wednesday night. The Washington Post said the pilot ejected and is in stable condition. The plane has not been recovered from the water.

And if that’s not enough to raise a few eyebrows, listen to this; the YumaSun reported that, there have been “at least” 11 (!) Harrier jet crashes in southwest Arizona and southeastern California since 1996, with the most recent previous crash taking place in an unpopulated area of the Gila Indian Reservation just last month, on May 9…

By John Halas

PAST CRASHES [From YumaSun]

Oct. 7, 1996 – USMC Harrier pilot killed during a training mission over California’s Chocolate Mountains when three bombs, all with expired fuses, detonated prematurely aboard his AV-8B.

April 22, 1998 – USMC Harrier pilot killed after ejecting during a training flight over the Imperial Valley when his AV-8B Harrier engine failed.

Dec. 3, 2003 – Harrier crashes in an alfalfa field near MCAS in Yuma, Ariz. Pilot safely ejected and was rescued.

Dec. 8, 2003 – Harrier crashes in a remote area of the Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range in Southern California. Pilot safely ejected and was rescued.

Dec. 1, 2004 – AV-8B stationed at MCAS Yuma crashes at Yuma Proving Ground. Pilot ejected safely and was rescued.

June 15, 2005 – USMC AV-8B Harrier crashes in Yuma, AZ neighborhood. The pilot, who ejected from the jet prior to the crash, and two people on the ground suffered minor injuries.

Nov. 27, 2007 – US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier with VMA-513 crashes near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, with the pilot ejecting safely.

May 15, 2008 – US Marine Corps TAV-8B Harrier II from VMAT-203, crashes while on a training mission in southern Arizona, with both pilots ejecting safely.

July 25, 2012 – US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier assigned to Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 crashes in an unpopulated area near Felicity, Calif. about 15 miles northwest of MCAS Yuma. Pilot ejected safely and was rescued.

May 9, 2014 – US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier assigned to MCAS Yuma crashes on the Gila Indian Reservation about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix. Pilot ejected safely and was rescued.

VIDEO

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Post by Elias Alarcon.