a flight off the Southern California coast , said Marine Col. John Rupp . That left the jet relying on its other engine , which previously had been giving mechanics electronic indications of a problem with its fuel-flow system , Rupp said . Learn more about the jet '' Maintenance rules do n't require immediate repairs for the problem , he said , but the squadron flew the jet 146 times before it eventually crashed because its left engine was starved for fuel . `` The end result was that the squadron elected to fly an aircraft that had a degraded fuel system on the left side of the aircraft , '' Rupp said . `` This is a critical point , and this was collectively questionable judgment on the part of the squadron 's maintenance department . '' The investigation criticized the pilot , who was being trained on the F/A -18 , for not consulting a pocket checklist that outlined emergency procedures . While controllers aboard the aircraft carrier that launched the jet urged the pilot to land at a nearby Navy airfield at North Island , squadron officers relied on `` incorrect assumptions and inaccurate data ''
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Marine Corps has sacked four top officers of a California-based fighter squadron over the December crash of a fighter jet that slammed into a San Diego neighborhood , the service announced Tuesday . Grace Yoon , 15 months , was killed after a military jet crashed into her home . Deferred maintenance and faulty decisions by the pilot and squadron members with whom he was communicating on the ground contributed to the crash , a Marine Corps investigation concluded . The commander of the squadron involved , its top maintenance officer and two others have been relieved of duty as a result of the investigation , and nine other Marines have received other disciplinary action , Maj. Gen. Randolph Alles said . The jet crashed in the University City neighborhood of San Diego , about three miles short of the Miramar airfield . Two adults and two small children from a Korean immigrant family were killed when the jet slammed into their house . Watch what pilot said as plane had trouble '' The F/A -18 Hornet crashed after '' a succession of emergencies '' that began with oil-pressure problems in its right engine during