The U.S. Navy is reviewing a Blue Angels flyover after one of the squadron’s jets flew lower than its standard profile over a crowded shoreline at Pensacola Beach, Fla., on Wednesday morning, drawing both praise and concern across social media and prompting a response from the service.
Every summer, crowds gather on Pensacola Beach in the early morning to open air show week the same way, with coffee and lawn chairs and the low rumble of jets somewhere out over the Gulf. On Wednesday, the rumble arrived closer than anyone expected.
A Blue Angels jet came in low over the sand on Pensacola Beach, Fla. In a matter of seconds, umbrellas were gone, tents were thrown about, and a beach full of surprised individuals were seen ducking from blown sand and airborne gear.
A Navy spokesperson told Military.com that the service is aware of social media footage showing what it described as “a low-altitude pass” by team aircraft.
“During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas,” the spokesperson said. “The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority.
“Team leadership is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review to ensure all operations adhere to strict Navy and FAA safety standards.”
Military.com asked the Navy and Blue Angels what the review would consist of, whether it’s normal for such demonstrations to be this low to the ground and civilians, whether Navy and Federal Aviation Administration standards are reviewed prior to such events, and whether there is supposed to be a specific altitude adhered to avoid possibly dangerous or fatal outcomes.
Neither responded directly to those inquiries.
The low pass happened during “Breakfast with the Blues,” an event that opens the annual Pensacola Beach Air Show week.
It remains unclear if any injuries were suffered, though no injuries had been publicly confirmed by the Navy or local officials as of Wednesday evening.
‘I’ve Never Seen a Pass Like That’
For the people on the sand, the moment was equal parts thrilling and alarming, with reactions split squarely along that line.
“I’ve been coming for 10 years, and I’ve never seen a pass like that in my life,” Ashley Korn told WEAR, the ABC affiliate in Pensacola. “I literally thought we were going to be taken out by Blue Angels, but it was amazing.”
Others described the sheer force of the pass.
“It was so big we thought it was Fat Albert,” Samantha Mayne told the station, referring to the squadron’s C-130 support aircraft. “It was huge because it was so close. All of our tents got knocked down. … It was worth it. It was awesome.”
Not everyone came away as thrilled with their experience. On social media, some spectators who said they’ve watched the Blue Angels for years called the pass unsafe, describing people falling and twisting ankles as they tried to duck the flying gear.
Others landed somewhere in between.
“I’m gonna remember that probably for the rest of my life,” beach goer Lane Wilkerson told WEAR.
Lillie Korn expected an ordinary morning and got something else.
“I thought it was gonna be, you just watch a plane fly,” she told the station. “But it was cool.”
Lower Than Standard Profile
Blue Angels pilots fly to altitude and distance minimums set by the Navy and the Federal Aviation Administration, which vary by maneuver and are designed to keep aircraft a safe distance from spectators.
Those minimums are the “standard profiles” the statement refers to. An aircraft flying below them, as the squadron acknowledged happened here, is the kind of deviation that triggers reviews exactly like the one that is currently ongoing.
A safety review of this type examines what happened and why, from the flight data to the decisions made in the cockpit. Its outcomes, on the other hand, can range widely.
Investigators may find the pass fell within an acceptable margin, or they may conclude it did not. If they find it did not, the response can include revised procedures, additional training for the pilots involved, or possibly changes to how a given maneuver is flown at future shows.
The Navy did not say how long the review would take or when it would release its findings.
The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, calling the Gulf Coast home for a long time.The beach flyover has been one of the signature moments leading up to the multi-day air show. Their event draws as many as 250,000 people to the Florida Gulf Coast each and every summer, according to reporting.
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