All Residents Survive US Navy Jet Crash

All the residents of an apartment block destroyed after a US military fighter jet crashed and exploded into flames have been accounted for, officials say.

The US Navy F-18 plane suffered what the Pentagon is describing as a "catastrophic mechanical malfunction" during a training flight before smashing into an apartment complex in Virginia.

As many as five low-rise buildings were on fire and flames and thick, black smoke was sent billowing into the sky.

Three residents had initially been listed as missing but they were later accounted for and firefighters confirmed on bodies had been found after a search of the rubble.

Virginia beach fire chief Tim Riley confirmed: "We are not actively looking for anyone.

"We're considered very fortunate for this event."

Witnesses reported seeing fuel pouring from the plane shortly after take-off from the nearby Naval Air Station Oceana, but it is unclear whether it was a leak or a deliberate move by the crew.

If a deliberate dump, Bruce Nedelka, the Virginia Beach emergency services chief, has said the manoeuvre is likely to have prevented what could have been a massive fireball.

Both pilots - who were among seven people injured - ejected moments before the aircraft, which was from Strike Fighter Squadron 106, crashed .

One pilot was apparently still strapped into his seat but was able to speak and even apologised for hitting the building, according to witnesses.

Vicki Hoffman, who lives next door to the Mews, said one pilot landed on her neighbour's patio.

"She said she was trying to get his head gear off and said the response was very quick," she said. "He was conscious."

Another witness, Kelly McQuaid, said: "[The pilot] actually looked pretty well. You could tell he was pretty dazed, and there were scratches on his face."

Admiral John Harvey Jr, commander of the US Fleet Forces, has praised the "heroic response" of those at the complex and emergency personnel who took care of the air crew and others at the scene.

Investigators will remain on the scene for three or four days after the search is complete.

Oceana - a huge complex with more than seven miles (10km) of runways - is the base for 19 fighter squadrons and manned by around 14,600 military personnel.