Airshow mishaps - Thunderbirds og Blue Angels - AVweb

Thunderbirds, Blue Angels Aircraft Crash On Same Day (Updated)

  

 
 
 

By Russ Niles | June 2, 2016

A USAF Thunderbirds pilot ejected safely from his F-16 after a flyover performance at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Thursday. Meanwhile in Smyrna, Tennessee, a member of the Blue Angels also crashed but the fate of the pilot wasn't immediately known. The Thunderbird crashed in an open area near the academy after the annual graduation ceremony, which was attended by President Barack Obama. The Blue Angels F-18 crashed during practice for a weekend performance. Details are sketchy about the Blue Angels incident but the Thunderbirds are saying their pilot, who was flying the No. 6 jet, was unhurt. The mishap occurred around midday Colorado time. TheThunderbirds Web site identifies the No. 6 pilot as Maj. Alex Turner, of Chelmsford, MA. The No. 6 jet is the opposing solo. Turner is an F-16 instructor with more than 270 hours of combat experience in Libya and Iraq. 

Twitter images show the aircraft lying intact in an open area, reported to be south of the Colorado Springs Airport. Obama, who delivered the commencement address to the Academy graduates, is said to be planning to meet with the pilot. The pilot was taken to hospital for evaluation but early reports said he was seen "walking around unhurt" after his parachute landing.