AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — An Air Force Thunderbird jet crashed Thursday in Colorado just after a flyover at a graduation ceremony for Air Force Academy cadets where President Barack Obama had spoken.
Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michal Kloeffler-Howard said the pilot ejected and no injuries were reported on the ground.
Obama met with the pilot shortly after the plane crashed, thanked him for his service and expressed his relief that he wasn't seriously injured, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Shortly after the Thunderbird crash, a Navy F/A-18 jet, part of the Navy's elite Blue Angels, crashed near Nashville, killing the pilot. A U.S. official said the pilot was Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to his official Blue Angels biography, Kuss joined the elite acrobatics team in 2014 and accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours.
The Navy said in a news release that the pilot was beginning to take off during an afternoon practice session when the crash happened. Five other F/A-18 jets landed safely moments after the crash.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Blue Angels after this tragic loss. I know that the Navy and Marine Corps Team is with me. We will investigate this accident fully and do all we can to prevent similar incidents in the future," Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, said in a Facebook post.
The Thunderbird crash occurred about 15 miles south of Peterson Air Force Base, where Air Force One was waiting to take Obama back to Washington. News of the crash broke while Obama's motorcade was returning to the base.
The Thunderbirds had just finished their traditional performance at the Air Force Academy graduation, screaming overhead just as the graduating officers tossed their white hats into the sky.
The jets then did multiple fly-bys over the academy's football stadium, where the ceremony took place, blasting by in tight formations or looping high overhead.
There was no obvious sign of trouble with any of the jets during the performance. Source
Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michal Kloeffler-Howard said the pilot ejected and no injuries were reported on the ground.
Obama met with the pilot shortly after the plane crashed, thanked him for his service and expressed his relief that he wasn't seriously injured, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Shortly after the Thunderbird crash, a Navy F/A-18 jet, part of the Navy's elite Blue Angels, crashed near Nashville, killing the pilot. A U.S. official said the pilot was Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to his official Blue Angels biography, Kuss joined the elite acrobatics team in 2014 and accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours.
The Navy said in a news release that the pilot was beginning to take off during an afternoon practice session when the crash happened. Five other F/A-18 jets landed safely moments after the crash.
Video U.S. Navy Blue Angel Jet Crashes in Smyrna, Tennessee
"My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Blue Angels after this tragic loss. I know that the Navy and Marine Corps Team is with me. We will investigate this accident fully and do all we can to prevent similar incidents in the future," Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, said in a Facebook post.
The Thunderbird crash occurred about 15 miles south of Peterson Air Force Base, where Air Force One was waiting to take Obama back to Washington. News of the crash broke while Obama's motorcade was returning to the base.
The Thunderbirds had just finished their traditional performance at the Air Force Academy graduation, screaming overhead just as the graduating officers tossed their white hats into the sky.
The jets then did multiple fly-bys over the academy's football stadium, where the ceremony took place, blasting by in tight formations or looping high overhead.
There was no obvious sign of trouble with any of the jets during the performance. Source
