we have the mayor, who spoke with affiliate wtkr.id, really for folks in this area, this is the worst fear realized. >> it's something i prayed every day would not happen. but it has. i will sit back and say to you that our police and ems and fire have done an outstanding josh. the navy is sending out some folk trucks that will get this toxic smoke cut down quickly and that will allow us to get our people into a search. >> and assessments of virginia beach, another eyewitness, his flame is john, binterviewed by our affiliate wabc. >> i looked up and i can hear, like three booms, either the engine was blowing out or he was trying to refire the engine. >> i instantably smelled jet fuel. and i jumped in my truck and got here. >> and john, we were talking about how you actually went closer to the scene, what did you see when you got closer out there? >> i seen where the can my, where he ejected in the canopy and the people's garden. i looked up and i could see where the actual canopy had truck the apartment to one side from where the pla

i want to dip in and take a listen to the local affiliate, wtkr reporting. >> two crew members did eject from the jet and parachute safely with only minimal harm to themselves into the area what i can them you from nothing dozens and dozens of oceania pilots and military aircraft operators, i will promise you right now there was no sal srapbling of the aircraft in the air. i've covered several mishaps and crashes in virginia beach where pilots did everything they humanly could some steer the aircraft out and away from the population areas. i have seen them put the pedal to the metal and put the aircraft over the water before they ejected. it is incredibly telling that these gifted pilots were not able to get that jet away from the population area. we are only probably a quarter mile or more to the atlantic ocean. a lot of times when the aircraft is in trouble in these patterns they can, in some cases just put that plane into essentially over drive and try to get it as far away from the property areas as possible and into the water and eject from there. the fact that they've ejected and l

pat cavanaugh tells our affiliate wtkr that one of the ejected crew members landed on his back porch.heck this out. >> i was in the apartment, and i heard this pretty big, loud booms, so i got up from the couch and went to my back door and when i looked out i saw a pilot on the ground, parachute hanging from the building, facial lacerations, and i ran outside to see what i could do to help him. i'm retired rescue, and i didn't know the plane had hit the building until i saw the smoke. we had to get a bunch of neighbors together to get them out of the area and pick him up and take him to safety. >> was he able to speak at all? was he saying anything? >> he apologized very much for hitting our complex. i said don't worry about it. everything will be fine. let's get you out of here and get you to safety. >> were you able to move him without any issue? >> no, like i said, i'm retired rescue. he was in shock, still strapped to his seat, so a bunch of neighbors, we just picked him up and dragged him to the other side of the parking lot away from the fire until rescue could get on the scene.