Nirmal Jayasinghe

Six Blue Angel A-4F Skyhawks fly in delta formation (US Navy photo, via Wikipedia)

A U.S. Navy flight demonstration team Blue Angels jet has crashed while performing at a flight demonstration at Marine Corps Air Station Air Show in Beaufort Saturday afternoon. The jet probably is an F/A-18, which is the usual mount of the Bue Angels. The jet had crashed into a neighborhood of homes after clipping power lines, and casualities are reported on ground (8) while the pilot is reported to have died. The incident took place moments before the finale of the show. Other jets have landed unscathed. The Navy is yet to release a detailed response. An investigation is underway.

The Blue Angels are the US Navy’s hallmark air demonstration team, renowned worldwide for their precision flight demonstrations. The pilots chosen are highly skilled and dedicated tactical jet drivers with over 1000+ flying hours under their belt. The loss of such a flyer indeed is regretted.