Blue Angels crash in Nashville

Kingairer said:
Is anyone reporting the type of maneuver that was being conducting on either crash?
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Whelp, you know the media, so don't take this as the gospel, but it was/is reported that for the Blue Angels pilot: "The crash occurred at the beginning of practice, just after the pilot took off, the Navy said. The plane went down about 2 miles from the Smyrna airport. Smyrna Fire Chief Bill Culbertson said there were already units on the flight line so his crews were able to respond to the crash scene within minutes.
The crash occurred near a former plantation called the Sam Davis Home that is a tourist site, and it also wasn't far from an apartment complex, Culbertson said."

Then for the Thunderbirds pilot: "Lt. Col. Christopher Hammond, commander of the Air Force's Thunderbirds demonstration team, told reporters that the pilot, Maj. Alex Turner, experienced an unspecified problem as he was trying to land after the flyover and ejected.
"He had already put his gear down, and that's when the incident occurred," Hammond said, adding that Turner radioed that he was maneuvering so he wouldn't hit any houses. "He made a conscious effort to direct his aircraft away from some of the local neighborhoods." The crash occurred 5 nautical miles south of Peterson Air Force base, well away from the stadium where the military branch's ceremony was taking place, officials said."
 
Grew up around this pilot, he was always a source of inspiration for us small town durango guys, felt sick when I found out it was him....
 
Mikerohren said:
Grew up around this pilot, he was always a source of inspiration for us small town durango guys, felt sick when I found out it was him....
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Oh no. I am so sorry. Perhaps there will be a way for you to try and connect with his family at some point and maybe even share with them your thoughts and experiences about him and what a great influence/inspiration he was for you and perhaps see if they need any help. Damn, how crappy.
 
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So sorry Mikerohren.

Just watching the formation fly over the fireball is a punch in the gut for me.

Seriously, what are the odds of both #6's going down at the same time?! Unreal...
 
A Life Aloft said:
Oh no. I am so sorry. Perhaps there will be a way for you to try and connect with his family at some point and maybe even share with them your thoughts and experiences about him and what a great influence/inspiration he was for you and perhaps see if they need any help. Damn, how crappy.
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Yep, he was married to my friends sister, all us durangoans are doing a good job supporting the family....
 
Mikerohren said:
Yep, he was married to my friends sister, all us durangoans are doing a good job supporting the family....
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I know they will appreciate all the support. The military family is amazing and they are so great about taking care of their own. It's a horrible tragedy, but he will never be forgotten, his family will always be taken care of, and his legacy will live on. I am so sorry for your loss.
 
Mikerohren said:
Yep, he was married to my friends sister, all us durangoans are doing a good job supporting the family....
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Again, I am very sorry. I didn't know how close your connection was/is. I am glad his family will have the support they need to get through this awful and hellish ordeal. Everyone needs help healing after something like this. It's a horrible loss when good, decent men die. Stay strong. My thoughts are with you and his loved ones.
 
Very sad, its always sickening hearing about people dying in aircraft, let alone someone you know... But, unfortunately its one of the risks we take getting into this industry. I am just proud that he steered it away from buildings, died a true hero...
 
Hacker15e said:
If the video on this page is shown in chronological sequence, the crash did not occur on initial takeoff. At the beginning, there is a shot of the two solos flying over the camera position, and later (after a break in the filming, apparently) the explosion behind the trees of the crash.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/06/02/navy-blue-angel-jet-crashes-smyrna/85308972/
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I can't remember where I read it so I may be quoting a little inaccurately, but I believe I saw something saying that #6 was one of the ones doing the solo pass, was a little too low, and appeared to stall at the top of the loop after the flyby. Wondering if maybe during the loop he tried to regain altitude to where he was supposed to be so extended the climb longer than usual?
 
http://wkrn.com/2016/06/02/raw-video-onlooker-captures-moments-of-blue-angels-crash/

(2nd video on the page)

This is the clearest I have seen yet. It does appear to be a high performance climb maneuver followed by getting really slow and what must have been an off camera stall. There is a point where I keep thinking I see some smoke, but it could just be the janky video. Definitely went bad in a heartbeat - up around '1000 to fireball in only a second or two.

The only thing routine about flying is that it isn't routine. Always good to be reminded how quickly things can unravel in the world of powered flight even for the best pilots in the best maintained equipment available.
 
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jtrain609 said:
Seriously? The Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels crash on the same day?
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Knowing nothing about either of these crashes, I will say only that I was trained to eschew believing in coincidences.
RIP Capt. Kuss. :(
 
///AMG said:
Hopefully the family of #5 doesn't happen to peruse this forum. Then again, last time the blues had a crash, that same media mix up only led to a few hours of terror and horror for the family that hadn't actually lost anyone.
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People should watch more of this...
 

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