Blue Angles Crash | Forums

[leitmotiv]

Read the news reports: pieces of the airplane scattered all over a residential area---the airplane was lost during a low altitude maneuver in a tight formation.

[PBNA-Boosher]

This is a sad loss indeed. Do we know who it was in the crashed aircraft?

[StellarRat]

I read the news. My guess is that you have not actually seen them flying. They have a formation that is maintained at all times. It's a close formation. They do everything as a group. They were probably making a circle to come back over the field and were crossing over the neighborhood when the accident happened. The only way they could have crashed over the residential area was if someone had a problem with the formation or some kind of mechanical problem. Some people might call flying in close formation a maneuver (or even making a simple turn), but other than flying close it's not anything like a real "trick" like loop or an Immelman. The actual "maneuvers" are done over the airfield away from the crowd. Anyway, we will have to wait for more details.

[leitmotiv]

StellarRat, the Navy isn't going to give you a Navy Cross for whatever it is you are doing---the eyewitnesses said they were engaged in a low altitude maneuver, one aircraft fell behind, lost altitude, hit a tree, and distributed itself over residences.

http://apnews.myway.com/image/20070421/Blue_Angel_Crash...0421&docid=D8OLA5GO0

[Divine-Wind]

Very sad news. We just saw them this past Sunday here in Texas. Hopefully no one else was seriously injured (Or worse).

[heywooood]

the Blue Angels perform at Miramar every year and have been doing so since the 70's without a misshap...that area is densely populated with the exception of the property off either end of the main runways and a few miles south where the landfill (city dump) is located.

I have spoken to many of these pilots and they are dedicated and highly professional - I don't think that what they do is 'silly' but there is a relatively high risk involved in pushing these planes around the sky at close proximity to each other and also to the ground...

There is a rule they don't talk about much that has to do with power or airframe failure during these shows. They are to point the plane toward an undeveloped area if possible and not punch out unless they are sure the plane can't hit anything but dirt.
Otherwise they must stay and do whatever they can to minimize the damage as much as possible, meaning they must ride it in.

There is risk involved - but there is always risk. More people are killed in traffic than by any other cause but we go into it every day anyway...

I am sorry for the loss of this pilot - but I am happy for him and proud of him also.
He did his duty. He flew for his Country and did it so well that he got to fly a fantastic machine in one of the most elite demonstration teams on the planet. He Did Ok.

[TC_Stele]

Sad news, indeed. The name of the pilot hasn't been released until family is contacted.

[SlowBurn68]

It truely is a sad day - The men and women of the Blue Angles tradition make me proud to be an American.

[WarWolfe_1]

Originally posted by heywooood:
the Blue Angels perform at Miramar every year and have been doing so since the 70's without a misshap...that area is densely populated with the exception of the property off either end of the main runways and a few miles south where the landfill (city dump) is located.

I have spoken to many of these pilots and they are dedicated and highly professional - I don't think that what they do is 'silly' but there is a relatively high risk involved in pushing these planes around the sky at close proximity to each other and also to the ground...

There is a rule they don't talk about much that has to do with power or airframe failure during these shows. They are to point the plane toward an undeveloped area if possible and not punch out unless they are sure the plane can't hit anything but dirt.
Otherwise they must stay and do whatever they can to minimize the damage as much as possible, meaning they must ride it in.

There is risk involved - but there is always risk. More people are killed in traffic than by any other cause but we go into it every day anyway...

I am sorry for the loss of this pilot - but I am happy for him and proud of him also.
He did his duty. He flew for his Country and did it so well that he got to fly a fantastic machine in one of the most elite demonstration teams on the planet. He Did Ok.

Thanx heywoood

[Sergio_101]

Originally posted by SlowBurn68:
It truely is a sad day - The men and women of the Blue Angles tradition make me proud to be an American.

I just read that there is aready speculation that
the pilot blacked out in a high G turn.
Blue Angel and Thunderbird pilots do NOT
wear G suits.

If I can find the link, I will post it.

Sorry but I lost it while surfing.

Sergio