Pieces of jet rain on Arlington

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, November 26, 2003

ARLINGTON — One Arlington High School student can give thanks today that he still has his car.

A U.S. Navy EA-6B Prowler jet from Whidbey Island lost at least three large pieces of metal as it flew over Arlington on Wednesday.

One piece slammed down on Crown Ridge Boulevard right where a student usually parks his car, said Irene Silva, who lives seven houses down the street. Luckily, the student did not park there Wednesday.

"I stood on my deck, having just lit my cigarette, and all of a sudden I see something traveling really fast, but it almost looked like it was floating down, rocking back and forth," Silva said. "It came down like a shot, made a big boom."

Another piece fell nearby, just inside the outer fence of the high school property. At least one more piece of metal fell in the yard at 18503 Teeside Lane in the Gleneagle golf course development.

Nobody was injured, and the pilot landed safely, although the origin of the metal was a mystery for a while.

Silva immediately called Arlington police. Silva and other witnesses did not see or hear a plane.

Arlington Police Chief John Gray said his officers took the metal panels to Arlington Municipal Airport to await inspection by officials from the Federal Aviation Administration.

One of the pieces of metal was 6 feet long and another 4 feet, Gray said. Silva estimated that the piece she saw was a metal square about 3 feet in size.

No planes were reported missing at the Arlington airport, Gray said.

When FAA investigators arrived, they identified the panels as having come from a Navy Prowler, a jet that jams enemy radar to clear a path for U.S. ground and airstrike forces.

Kimberly Martin, public affairs officer for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, confirmed that the panels were from one of that base’s Prowlers. The plane with four crew members aboard was flying a routine training mission when it lost the aft-engine and midengine panel doors, Martin said.

"It did not affect its flight," Martin said. "The plane made a normal landing."

The accident is at least the second time this year that a Prowler has lost pieces in midflight. This summer, a Prowler lost a pod from under one of its wings while flying over the Columbia River Basin, Martin said.

That plane also was able to land safely.

"They are very different, unique accidents," Martin said. "They do not appear to be related to each other. The Navy is very careful to monitor these accidents so that if there is a trend, they can identify it."

Despite the recent incidents, Martin said losing pieces of planes is unusual. The Navy and the FAA will continue investigating, she said.

In Arlington, Thanksgiving today takes on added meaning. The large metal panels fell near houses, a park and a sidewalk used by high school students.

"We’re just fortunate it didn’t hit anything," Silva said. "Especially with the high school right there. Kids could have been walking from class."

Warren Hopkins, assistant superintendent for the Arlington School District, said no students were in the area when the metal fell.

Gray said the day was certainly unusual.

"In the 20 years that I’ve been doing law enforcement here in Snohomish County, I think this is the second or third time it’s happened," Gray said. "It’s usually small planes."

Reporter Scott Morris: 425-339-3292 or smorris@heraldnet.com.