Two days after an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed into a University City neighborhood, the County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed four fatalities — those of two adults and two infants — found inside one of the five homes destroyed or damaged in the accident. The pilot, a first lieutenant with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 from United States Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, was flying Monday, Dec. 8 from the USS Abraham Lincoln off San Diego’s coast toward MCAS when one engine failed, said MCAS Commanding Officer Col. Chris O’Connor. At about 11:58 a.m., the jet reportedly lost its second engine, causing the plane to crash into two homes in the 4400 block of Cather Avenue in University City, two miles short of the air base. The pilot safely ejected from the plane and was found in a nearby canyon. “The pilot was nearing the end of his training,” said USMC Miramar public affairs spokesperson Cpl. Jessica Aranda. Officials drove the pilot, identified by as Dan Neubauer, to Balboa Naval Hospital. Marine Corps officials said he is expected to make a full recovery. Maurice Luque, spokesperson for the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said the two destroyed homes — the Yoon residence at 4416 Cather Ave. and an unoccupied house next door — immediately caught fire from the crash. Rescuers from the Fire-Rescue Department and MCAS Miramar discovered three victims after sifting through debris and rubble Monday evening. With the help of search dogs, the fourth victim was found the next day. The victims were identified as Youngmi Yoon, 36; Yoon’s mother, Suk Im Kim, 60; 15-month-old Grace Yoon; and 2-month-old Rachel Yoon. Don Yoon, Young’s husband and the father of the two girls, was not at home at the time of the crash. “I really believe that my wife and two daughters are in heaven,” Yoon, 39, said the day after the crash, adding that his prayers go out to the pilot. O’Connor said reaching out to the community and sharing as much information as possible was his priority. He attended Tuesday’s University Community Planning Group meeting in an effort to inform residents of the military’s efforts and to allay the public’s fears, he said. “We are conducting a thorough investigation. We are going to take our time,” he said. O’Connor said the military’s team of first responders was on the scene immediately and will continue to work with the city. Military officials will continue to remove wreckage from the area, he said. “We take our responsibility very seriously,” he said. O’Connor said the military stresses the safety record of its aircraft. “As a pilot, safe operation of aircraft is our number one concern,” O’Connor said. “[The F/A-18 is] a dependable aircraft. It flies a lot, every day. It’s a proven performer. They’re our workhorses.” According to Luque, damages from the crash totaled in excess of $1 million. He added that the crash damaged another three homes, three vehicles and one truck. But UC residents will not remember the monetary losses. “I saw them every day,” said neighbor Michael Rose, adding that he was traveling to Texas when his wife phoned him, informing him a plane crashed next to their home. “She said it was a big, loud boom,” Rose said. “How short life can be. It’s such a tragedy.” Though Rose said he wasn’t present at the actual crash, his proximity to the Yoons’ house and the site began to sink in. “We were riding bicycles less than 50 feet away the night before,” Rose said. “My girls were in school [at the time of the crash]. Thank God.” Newly elected San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner said she will hold a community forum today, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m., at UC High School auditorium, 6949 Genesee Ave. The Marine Corps is asking anyone who finds suspected debris from the wreckage not to touch it and to call (858) 577-1727. On a related note, the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s (PCPB) Airport Committee has slated a regular meeting for Friday, Dec. 12 at the Hervey/Point Loma Branch Library, 3701 Voltaire St. In light of Monday’s crash — and because the PCPB has regular interface with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority that oversees Lindbergh Field — committee chair Suhail Khalil said he has invited representatives from various agencies to brief committee members on airport safety matters. Representatives from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, North Island Navy Base and Mayor Jerry Sanders’ office are expected to be on hand. The airport committee meets from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the library. ?Copies of the agenda are posted there and can also be accessed by visiting www.pcpb.net. For more information, call (619) 224-1527, or e-mail [email protected].