Blue Angels Crash in Beaufort, SC neighborhood (1 fatality confirmed by coroner)

CNN.com ^ | 4/21/07 | CNN

[NormsRevenge]

Breaking on CNN a few minutes ago.

1 plane down in neighborhood, status of pilot or occupants unknown at this time.

[RaceBannon]

Nope, same guys!

Now you know why they only do a few years, it takes a toll with all the travel!

[bcsco]

Thanks for the update. And, by the way, welcome to FR. Please understand. Pukin Dog is an aviator and something like this hits him especially hard. Then, when those of us who don’t know how the situation can unfold, well, it can get pretty emotional. I don’t know Pukin Dog, but I can emphasize.

I guess what I’m saying is, at times like these, when the news/situation is fresh or immediate, the best thing to do is take a deep breath, sit back, and let our logic take control; not our emotions. And threads like this, the spontaneous ones, do get emotional sometimes.

Prayers for or Blue Angels. Prayers for anyone on the ground who was affected. And God’s blessings to everyone.

Again, welcome to FR, agent_delta.

[Pukin Dog]

I was trying to leave you alone, but I will say this in parting:

If you want to be a good reporter, be CURIOUS. Don't just be a parrot of information. When you said you were an aviation reporter, I would have expected you to at least consider who you might be talking to.

Gather info, don't just repeat what you hear. Someday, you might even get a ride.

[upchuck]

What a complete bummer!

Prayers for the pilot, the pilot's family and any on the ground injured or with property damage.

South Carolina Ping

Add me to the list. / Remove me from the list.

[doorgunner69]

This comment about steering aircraft away from homes, people, etc, is just nonsense, it is about hero-worship, and has NOTHING to do with reality.

We lost a F-4B (VMFA-122) shortly after takeoff from El Toro. They were over La Jolla and apparently headed out over the water, on fire. Neither the pilot or RIO ejected, though they were seen from the ground to be at least a few thousand feet. No one knows why they did not eject, or if they kept heading out to sea to avoid the town.

I recall the cause of the fire was thought to be the bleed air to the wings did not shut off after flaps retracted. Think that was a F-4 problem that caused a few other crashes, but I was Ordnance, what do I know.......

Spent that night patrolling the beaches of La Jolla with the OOD, guy named Winklebrandt, to watch for and protect any remains that might wash ashore. That stuff hits a squadron hard.

[Eagle Eye]

There was a fatallity 2 seasons ago. I have seen about a hundred practice sessions since 2005. I work at NASP.

This pic is when they buzzed my truck last summer.

[Eagle Eye]

There was a fatallity 2 seasons ago. I have seen about a hundred practice sessions since 2005. I work at NASP.

This pic is when they buzzed my truck last summer.

[bluecollarman]

Hey got a question. So your coming home in your A-4M after some time on the bombing range. You get close to home line up and you throttle back. Your rpm continues to fall past Idle and you flame out! Your pretty low but not too slow .

You have a mechanical malfunction or you accidentally slapped it back to military cutoff ;). Either way, your are kind of screwed dude. You are too low for a restart(but you start the sequence anyway).

Visibility is good, you are over a subdivision but the bay is in sight. You are lined up on a road that dead ends into the bay. What do you do? Do you punch out? or do you ride it as far as you can keeping it between the houses and punch out at the last minute after you are sure you are clear? You will be at about 200 feet when you leave the aircraft. Or do you just go and let it fly/fall/crash itself?

I agree at that at 100-200 feet this fine Blue Angel pilot would not have time to do anything, but you paint everyone with too broad of brush I think.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Get ready...the Libs will be shouting...

“All Blue Angels shows should be suspended forever and no military planes should fly unless Congress oks each and every plane before takeoff and, oh, yeah, every pilot must have a Senate hearing before each and every take off! “

Does it occurr to the Libs that our military is the best in the world and that’s why the Blue Angels show is so awesome.? Does it occurr to them, that just maybe casualties happen in a war...where it is even more dangerous?

these are brave and courageous pilots....and as the Talking Heads sang,

“This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around...”

[pillut48]

No, he didn’t—http://www.blueangels.org/Years/2007/Officers/06.htm

[Eagle Eye]

Wrong? WTH? I took the pic at a practice session.

[Pukin Dog]

It happens all the time, sadly.

This is why it is drilled so strongly to just get out. Guys start thinking of their careers, whether they will be blamed, grounded and sacked, all in the course of a few seconds.

There is a stigma. If you crashed an airplane, who the hell wants to fly next to you, next time round? Pilots are human, nobody likes to screw up. From the calls I am getting, it is starting to look like the famous Hornet F404 compressor stall. The blues get the oldest equipment in the fleet, so it would not be surprising. When one of those engines goes, it generally takes the hydraulics with it.

This is still just speculation, but this is what is being looked at.

[Eagle Eye]

Oh....you probably don’t know that they have more than one set of planes.

But you’re real quick on the keyboard.

[r-q-tek86]

I think he is responding to the fact that those aren’t F/A-18’s. Were they practicing in another type?

[Eagle Eye]

Like these or you gonna argue about them, too?

[Coldwater Creek]

Thanks for the info and great picture.

[George W. Bush]

Get ready...the Libs will be shouting... “All Blue Angels shows should be suspended forever and no military planes should fly unless Congress oks each and every plane before takeoff and, oh, yeah, every pilot must have a Senate hearing before each and every take off! “

No doubt. I wasn't disparaging Blue Angels. But a Houdini or trapeze artists or NASCAR drivers or others in dangerous entertainment or sporting events are...well...in dangerous lines of work. It's inevitable that a few people are going to die over the course of time. As a society, we decide whether the risks are worth the entertainment and civic values involved.

I have nothing against airshows. I was just expressing that no one should be too surprised when this happens every few years. It's part of the work of daredevils and precision pilots like the Blue Angels.

It's not like fighter pilots are signing up for the safest job they could find. Hopefully, no one else was hurt or killed and the fires were contained quickly.

[Pukin Dog]

You would have to be a lot more specific regarding speed and altitude for me to answer you. My broad brush is about the training, period.

[Eagle Eye]

Yes. Hey, but some guys know everything lol... I've been working on roof top on some buildings there and they come over us way too close for my comfort! Personally I think they get a kick out of scaring the bejesus outta the workers on base!

[Jet Jaguar]

I am stealing your tag line.