A United States federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to pay $17.8 million to a family who lost four members when a military jet malfunctioned and smashed into their home in 2008.

The victims were 36-year-old Youngmi Lee Yoon, her fifteen-month-old daughter Grace, her two month old daughter Rachel, and her 59-year-old mother Seokim Kim Lee, who was visiting to help with the children. All four burned to death when the jet destroyed the house in San Diego .

The judge said Wednesday the loss of these beloved family members “practically defies measure.”

The government admitted fault in the accident, and the three-day trial was aimed at determining how much the family should be paid for the economic and emotional loss.

Officials say the unidentified pilot was returning from a training exercise on a Navy aircraft carrier off the California coast when he crashed. They say a combination of mechanical issues and human error led to the crash.