PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (WUSA9) — One year ago on April 5, 2017, an F-16 fighter jet crash landed near Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County. The pilot parachuted to safety and steered the plane away from homes so no one was hurt.
But Reggie Stewart’s Clinton home took a hit and he’s still living with the aftermath.
WUSA9’s Delia Gonçalves asked Stewart, “Do you feel like the Air Force forgot you?”
He paused and then replied, “Well, I don’t know if I’ve been top of mind.”
One year later - there’s still a crack in the window and water damage in the ceiling that has extended, his roof is damaged, his vinyl siding punctured and his foundation cracked.
He has been fighting with his insurance this whole time. He has been in touch with the Air Force with no real progress, until he told them he was contacting WUSA9.
“Today, I got a phone call from the Air Force saying they were sending someone out to do an assessment,” Stewart said. He said he waited this long because he “couldn’t afford to pay then be reimbursed for the damages and if it just continues to go unresolved it’s only going to get worse.”
Cpt. Jonathan Morgan parachuted to safety and we’re told is still being hailed a hero for what he did that day. An investigation found an engine failure by the manufacturer downed the plane, not caused by anyone in the local unit.
Col. Ernest J. Teichert III, 11th Wing and Joint Base Andrews commander said they are committed to keeping their promise of helping homeowners.
The Commander sent WUSA9 a statement writing: "A year ago today, an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to Joint Base Andrews crashed in Clinton, Maryland during a routine training mission. Fortunately, the pilot was able to use his meticulous training to maneuver the aircraft to a less densely populated forested area in Prince George's County before safely ejecting. On that day, Joint Base Andrews' first responders worked seamlessly with community first responders to protect our amazing community. Although our Air National Guard partners lost an aircraft, we are all extremely thankful that no one was harmed.
Over the course of the past year, the 11th Wing has worked with the community and Prince George's County to identify impacts, and to restore areas impacted by the crash to pre-crash conditions. On the one-year anniversary of this event, we are proud to note that remediation and restoration at all three impacted sites is complete. All debris has been removed; all soils contaminated by fuel have been removed and replaced; and sites have been replanted with vegetation according to the requirements of the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission.
Throughout, the safety and the welfare of the residents of Clinton and Prince George's County has been our top priority. We have deeply appreciated the patience and understanding of all affected, as well as our partnership with affected communities, and we are proud that those partnerships have grown stronger through this challenging event. Immediately after the crash we committed ourselves to completely recover and restore the crash sites. Through tireless effort during the last year and nearly a million dollars of resourcing, we are proud to have done just that. Thank you for being amazing neighbors to the Joint Base Andrews community."
