The Thunderbirds perform a fly-over as graduates from the Air Force Academy toss their hats in the air at the conclusion of their commencement ceremony in Colorado Springs.
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In Tennessee a pilot from the navy’s Blue Angels squadron was killed on Thursday when his F/A-18 jet crashed in Smyrna, about 24 miles south-east of Nashville, a navy spokeswoman said late on Thursday. The crash happened in Colorado following the team’s flyover at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony. Prior to the Thunderbirds’ announcement, 47 ABC spoke with an Air Show official who said “we have not seen any official comment yet so we have no official comment at this time”.
A U.S. Air Force Thunderbird jet crashed south of Colorado Springs, shortly after performing in the Air Force Academy graduation Thursday.
“The cause of the mishap forcing Major Turner to eject is under investigation”, said Lt. Col. Christopher Hammond, U.S. Air Force Thunderbird commander. The pilot ejected safely from the jet.
Following the incident, Obama met with the pilot at nearby Peterson Air Force Base and expressed relief that the pilot was not injured, before heading back to Washington aboard Air Force One. The pilot in that crash died.
Kennedy, who now flies in air shows, said the demonstration teams let the military say, “We’re here to defend you and we just want to show you. So anything that involves that, I am full of smiles afterward”, Capt. Kuss said. The Blue Angels staged at Wallops during the Air Show. “I don’t know”, he said.
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Turner has logged more than 1,200 flight hours during his career with the Air Force with more than 270 combat hours over Libya and Iraq, according to his Thunderbirds page. “I ran outside. Three or four degrees to the left and that jet would have hit our house”.
