Blue Angels Jet Crashes at South Carolina Air Show

I have been a long time fan of the Blue Angels, so it pained me to learn about the Blue Angels aircraft that went down during the final minutes of an air show in South Carolina yesterday afternoon.

Here is an excerpt from Salem-News.com:

"(BEAUFORT, S.C.) - An F/A-18A Hornet assigned to the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels) crashed during the final minutes of an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., at approximately 4:00 PM EDT, on Saturday, April 21.
Navy Blue Angel No. 6 is shown minutes before crashing during an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in Beaufort, S.C., Saturday, April 21, 2007.
(AP Photo/Birmingham News, Mark Almond)Click on the above photo for high-res image
The pilot did not survive. The pilot of the jet was joining the DELTA formation for the final of the aerial demonstration when the mishap occurred. It was his second year on the team, and first year as a demonstration pilot. The DELTA formation, what the team was setting up for:Click on the above photo for high-res image
The other five Blue Angels jets were not involved in the incident and landed safely moments later.
The crash occurred approximately three miles outside the air station in the vicinity of Pine Grove Rd. and White Pine Rd. One civilian on the ground reported minor injuries and was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Some houses in the area received damage, the extent of which is unclear at this time.
The name of the pilot is being withheld pending the notification of the next-of-kin. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation."

The Blue Angels returned home today to Pensacola Naval Air Station with heavy hearts and decided not to participate in a weekend air show in Vidalia, Ga.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Blue Angels in the loss of their teammate and to their families.