Blue Angels review low beach flyover that tossed sand and chairs
The Navy team said one jet flew below standard during an arrival maneuver at Pensacola Beach, prompting a safety review.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
A Blue Angels jet roared so low over Pensacola Beach that beach gear went airborne, according to video of the Florida flyover, and the Navy’s famed demonstration team says it is now reviewing what happened.
The footage shows spectators watching jets over the Gulf before one aircraft cuts across the beach at low altitude and banks to the side. Sand, chairs and tents are seen being blown around as the aircraft passes over the crowd.
The Blue Angels, officially the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, said the pass happened during an arrival maneuver and was below the team’s usual profile.
“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 Blue Angels said in a statement.
The team said leadership is examining the maneuver and carrying out a safety review. The Blue Angels said the review is meant to make sure flight operations comply with Navy and Federal Aviation Administration safety standards.
“The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority,” the team said.
Defense official posts about flyover
Sean Parnell, assistant to the Defense secretary, appeared to comment on the incident Thursday in a social media post. Parnell wrote, “CARRY ON PATRIOTS,” alongside an image that appeared to show the flyover.
The Blue Angels are based in Pensacola, and Pensacola Beach is a familiar backdrop for the team’s flights. The Navy statement did not say whether anyone was hurt, and no injury information was included in the report.
Other low flybys have drawn scrutiny
The Pensacola Beach pass follows other recent military flybys that triggered reviews or suspensions.
Earlier this month, four Apache helicopters flew low over people gathered along the South Carolina coast on the Fourth of July. The South Carolina Army National Guard later said the pilots were suspended as a “routine, non-punitive safety measure” and that the move was “not a disciplinary action.” Days later, the Pentagon said those suspensions had been lifted.
In March, two AH-64 Army helicopters flew by the Nashville-area home of singer Kid Rock during a training mission, according to CBS News reporting cited in the report. The Army first suspended the pilots while it looked into the flight.
The following day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the suspensions had been lifted and that there would be no investigation or punishment in that case.
For the Pensacola Beach flyover, the Blue Angels have said only that a safety review is underway. The team did not announce discipline in its statement.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.