In a bizarre and tragic set of accidents, both the Navy and USAF flight demonstration teams have lost aircraft on the same day, just hours apart, in totally different locations and under different circumstances.
The Blue Angels were executing an afternoon practice session in preparation for the upcoming Great Tennessee Air Show when disaster struck. A massive fireball was photographed as a result of one of the team’s F/A-18 Hornet’s impact with the ground. One fatality is reported although it is not confirmed if this was the pilot or a bystander. This year is the team’s 70th anniversary.
https://twitter.com/_/status/738478996191465472
The Thunderbirds crash occurred earlier in the day, shortly after the team made its annual flyover of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for graduation. The event was attended by President Barack Obama.
AP
The pilot of T-Bird #6, the opposing solo position, flown by Major Alex Turner, ejected from his F-16C safely, due to unknown circumstances. Oddly enough the jet is relatively intact and laying in a field.
We will keep you updated on this page as we learn more.
Update: 3:47PM PST- It has been confirmed by multiple outlets that Blue Angel #6, Captain Jeff Kuss, has died in the Tennessee crash. The last fatal Blue Angels crash was in South Carolina in 2007, when Lieutenant Commander Kevin “Kojak” Davis blacked out due to heavy G forces while attempting to rejoin the team in formation.
News
HMS Medusa (A353): The Ship That Marked the Way to Omaha Beach in June 1944
Photo Credit: Geoff Moore / The Travel Trunk The HMS Medusa (A353) – formerly known as the Harbour Motor Defence Launch (HMDL) 1387 – was near Omaha Beach on June 5, 1944, the night before D-Day. Without the pinpoint accuracy of this tiny British…
James R Ward: The USS Oklahoma Crewman Who Remained Behind at Pearl Harbor and Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
Photo Credit: 1. USN / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain 2. Naval History and Heritage Command / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain (Colorized & Enhanced by DeepAI) The attack on Pearl Harbor was the event that spurred the United States…
On Christmas Eve 1944, American and German Soldiers Came Together for a Temporary Truce In the Hürtgen Forest
Photo Credit: History Archive / Universal Images Group / Getty Images When you ask someone about a wartime Christmas truce, they’re more likely to bring up the one that occurred along the Western Front in 1914. What many might not realize is…
Hikers Made An Incredibly Rare Discovery In a Northern British Field – A Canadian Ram Tank!
Photo Credit: United Kingdom Government / Tank Museum Guide. Part III 1940-1946 / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain In the decades following the Second World War, several discoveries dating back to the conflict have been made. Among them are a…
Francis P Hammerberg Was Awarded the Medal Of Honor After Performing An 18-Hour Rescue Mission At Pearl Harbor
Photo Credit: 1. HUM Images / Universal Images Group / Getty Images 2. U.S. Navy / U.S. Department of Defense (Colorized & Enhanced by DeepAI) Throughout the Second World War, numerous individuals distinguished themselves through actions of great heroism. Some…
The ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Detail Most Viewers Missed – It Changes Our View of the Film
Photo Credit: andrewz / Dreamworks Pictures / Paramount Pictures / MovieStillsDB Saving Private Ryan (1998) is arguably one of the best war movies ever released, thanks to director Steven Spielberg’s expert eye and attention to detail. The film, starring Tom Hanks…
End of content
No more pages to load