Virginia Beach Fire Department firefighters continue cleanup efforts after extinguishing a blaze that destroyed buildings when a US Navy F/A-18D fighter jet crashed into an apartment complex in Virginia Beach April 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Zack Zapatero, who witnessed the crash, told CNN there were "just large fireballs coming up" into the sky from the crash.

Amy Miller said she saw "flames underneath the right wing" just before the crash. "I heard the initial impact. Then you heard a boom right after that."    

The distinctive, twin-finned tail section of the F/A-18D landed in the courtyard of the complex of two-story brick buildings.

Dozens of firefighters and emergency workers converged on the scene, smothering the apartment complex with foam.

The plane was part of a training squadron at Oceana, the largest Navy air facility on the East Coast, that prepares Navy and Marine aviators and weapons officers for duty.  

Some 250 aircraft are stationed at Oceana with its seven miles (11 km) of runway, 20,000 military and civilian workers and 19 fighter/attack squadrons. The Navy says Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach.

"It is a vital part of our city," Sessoms said. "That is going to continue."

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

There are 37 tactical squadrons of F-18s operating from air stations worldwide and from 10 aircraft carriers. The Navy's precision air team, the Blue Angels, flies the F-18.

Virginia Beach, with 440,000 residents, is on the Atlantic Coast about 200 miles (320 km) south of Washington, DC. Much of its economy relies on tourists who come to enjoy its miles of beaches. The city is home to a complex of military bases, including Oceana, and the home of the US Atlantic Fleet is next door at Norfolk, Virginia.

Firefighters work to control the blaze after the crash of an F-18 navy jet into an apartment building in Virginia Beach, pictured in this aerial frame grab from video on April 6 2012. [Photo/Agencies]