A Navy Blue Angels pilot died Thursday afternoon after his F/A-18 crashed during a practice air show in Smyrna, Tenn. The pilot was taking off to begin practice when the crash occurred, the Navy said. The other five jets were not involved, and all landed safely. The Navy did not release the name of the pilot Thursday evening, citing next-of-kin notification guidelines. The mishap occurred at 3 p.m. local time, roughly an hour after a Thunderbirds jet crashed in Colorado, within two miles of the air field. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus posted on Facebook that the Navy’s “deepest sympathy” is with the family and friends of the Blue Angels. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson promised the Navy will investigate the accident and prevent anything similar from happening again. And in light of the crash, the Navy said, the Blue Angels will not perform in this weekend’s airshow.
Now Enlisted Airmen Can Stay in Uniform Longer
Dec. 8, 2023
The Air Force is extending the amount of time Airmen can spend at most enlisted ranks by two years, as the service looks to combat sluggish recruiting and balance its force structure. The High Year of Tenure (HYT) program sets limits on how long service members can spend in each grade…