Investigation Continues in Blue Angels Crash

It was a somber day in South Carolina for the second day of the airshow:

Investigators looked through wreckage Sunday to determine what caused a Navy Blue Angel jet to crash during a maneuver, while the military identified the fallen pilot as a 32-year-old who was performing in one of his first air shows with the team.

Lt. Cmdr. Kevin J. Davis of Pittsfield, Mass. was in his second year with the Blue Angels, the team known for its high-speed, aerobatic demonstrations, Lt. Cmdr. Garrett Kasper said.

At Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the site of Saturday's crash, a somber crowd watched Sunday as six jets flew overhead in formation. Smoke streamed behind one of the jets as it peeled away from the others to complete the "missing man formation," the traditional salute for a lost military aviator.

"The spirit of the pilot is in the arms of a loving God," said Rob Reider, a minister who was the announcer for the air show.

I have a feeling this crash will probably have been the result of some type of mechanical failure on the airplane. It must have happened so quickly and in such a bad spot that the pilot either didn't have time to eject, or chose to stay with the airplane and try to miss the houses.

You may not know this (I didn't until I saw the Military Channel special on the team), but the Blues do not have brand new state-of-the-art aircraft. The new stuff goes to the fleet,and when they've lived out their useful days as a "gray" or fleet jet, the castoffs either end up being used for spare parts, get "stuck on a stick" (or put on display somewhere), or become the airplanes that are modified for use by the Blue Angels. Consequently, maintenance issues can be a little tougher on these older airplanes, and the team has some of the top mechanics in the Navy or Marines to take care of them.

From what I've been reading, this was the fifth show of the 2007 touring season. They started out in El Centro in March at the end of their preseason training, and have already flown in Arizona, two stops in Florida, and Texas. They're scheduled to fly again next weekend in Georgia.

The team will recover. When they've lost pilots to illness or injury in the past, they've usually brought back a former member who used to fly that particular position since they can be trained quicker than anyone else. It will be tough to go on, but I expect the Blues will continue their touring schedule very quickly. I wish them the best. Here's their official website.