It happened shortly after the Thunderbirds had finished a flyover performance at the Air Force Academy Graduation ceremony Thursday afternoon.
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After leaving the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, President Barack Obama visited the pilot at Peterson Air Force base. No one was injured in that accident at Chicago Air and Water Show, but the carbon fiber object fell into Lake Michigan, roughly 2,500 feet from where spectators had gathered to watch the show. The F16 jet was on final approach, wheels down, when the pilot reported something went wrong.
Hammond says Turner has upwards of 1500 hours in the F-16, though this tour is his first as a pilot of a Thunderbird.
The jet, an F-16 fighter, ended up in the Security Widefield area, about 15 miles south of the academy.
As for safety in the air and on the ground, the Guard said it is the focal point of the show amid a long planning process. Alex Turner as the pilot of the No. 6 jet.
A famous plane that made a crash landing is capturing the attention of people driving on a major El Paso County road. “The Blue Angels like to represent not only the Navy forces but the Marine Corps forces, so they’ll draw folks from our side as well”.
Newell said it’s extremely rare for a Thunderbirds pilot to crash, saying they are among the best pilots in the Air Force and chosen specifically, due to their ability, to be a part of the team. “I don’t know”, he said.
“It’s our No. 1 recruiting tool”, said retired Air Force Col. Pete McCaffrey, who flew with the Thunderbirds from 1992 to 1995.
“When we panic, we don’t make good decisions”, Obama told the cadets and their families. The plane likely won’t be removed from the crash site until today. In the meantime, all upcoming Thunderbird’ shows have been cancelled.
Ann Turner said the last time she spoke with her youngest child was Wednesday, when he called to tell her he was heading to Rhode Island for a show. Kuss was the narrator for the Blue Angels performance a year ago at the OC Air Show.
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“I was (deployed) out on an aircraft carrier”.
