The pilot was able to safely eject from the jet.
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SMYRNA, Tenn. (AP) – The body of an elite fighter jet pilot who was killed in a crash near Nashville Thursday has been flown home.
“There were five other aircrafts in flight, but they landed safely”, Groeneveld said.
Officials promised a tribute to Capt. Jeff Kuss, the late pilot, with proceeds from the show going toward a scholarship fund for Kuss’ children.
The June 2 crash of a Navy jet assigned to the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron – the famous Blue Angels – cost the life of the pilot and was the first loss of a squadron pilot in a flight mishap since 2007.
June 03-A U.S. Navy Blue Angels aerobatic fighter jet crashed during a practice session outside Nashville on Thursday afternoon, killing the pilot in what witnesses described as an explosive vertical collision with the ground shortly after takeoff.
Great Tennessee Air Show co-producers, the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority and The Air Show Network, will jointly donate a portion of proceeds of all ticket sales to the Captain Jeff Kuss Family Fund.
The cause of the crash is unknown, the Thunderbirds said on Twitter.
During his brief stay, Captain Kuss made a lasting impression on many, including Westover Public Information Officer Lt. Colonel James Bishop.
The Tennessean said Kuss was a member of the Blue Angels and he his colleagues were in the air practicing for this weekend’s Great Tennessee Air Show. One of the pilots was killed.
Also Thursday, a Thunderbirds F-16 crashed outside Colorado Springs, Colorado, but that pilot, Maj. The pilot, Major Alex Turner, is a native of Chelmsford, MA.
There was an outpouring of support for Kuss’ family and the Blue Angels after news of the crash.
The teams are pricey, too. The team is based at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.
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A July 2014 post on the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Facebook page features this photo of Kuss. “His loss will be felt across the nation”, Shoemaker said. The Blue Angels are grounded pending an investigation. He watched Kuss get off the plane after each one without breaking a sweat. “It is the next generation we want to inspire”.
