SAN DIEGO -- Neighbors felt momentary panic in University City after a U.S. Navy F/A-18 jet made an emergency landing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Thursday night.

The incident happened above the same neighborhood where a military jet crashed into two homes in December 2008, killing four people. After this latest emergency landing, angry neighbors told 10News they are worried about their safety.

The University City neighborhood continues to recover from the December 2008 crash, in which flames and thick black smoke engulfed the spot where a Marine Corps jet fighter slammed into two homes. It's a scene many residents will never forget, and it's also a scene some thought would be repeated Thursday night when they heard loud noises coming from the sky.

Resident Mary Banton said, "… The noise was horrendous. It must've been so low; I don't know how it cleared the trees."

Banton's husband, Cliff, told 10News, "It sounded to me like the engine was flaming out, because it was going 'Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh,' like that, and it was coming very, very slow, and also coming very, very low."

The Bantons, who live around the corner from the fatal crash site, said they called MCAS Miramar to find out what went wrong and were told the jet was running low on fuel.

"Why was it coming off the aircraft carrier without enough fuel, if that was the reason? If that wasn¹t the reason and the engines were failing, it should have gone into North Island or ditched, or back to the carrier," said Mary Banton.

In a statement issued late Friday afternoon, the U.S. Navy said the F/A-18 strike fighter was involved in nighttime carrier qualifications on the USS Stennis. The emergency landing was "a precaution because of the pilot's training status." Navy officials added, "The aircraft was diverted to the nearest military air station, which was MCAS Miramar." Additionally, the Navy said, "There were no mechanical issues" and "the public was not in danger."

"Oh, God, it's scary. I haven't moved that fast in years, I'll tell you," said Mary Banton.