- A U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet flew at a low altitude over Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, sending sand, chairs, umbrellas and canopies flying. No injuries were reported.
- The aircraft was performing an arrival maneuver ahead of an upcoming air show; the squadron said the jet flew “lower than standard profiles.”
- The Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron announced a safety review following the incident.
- Video shared on social media showed beachgoers reacting with cheers and shock; one person described the experience as “amazing.”
US Navy fighter jet’s low pass sends beach equipment airborne
A U.S. Navy Blue Angels fighter jet flew at low altitude over a packed Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday during what officials described as an arrival maneuver for an upcoming air show, sending beach chairs, umbrellas and canopies into the air and tossing sand across the shoreline as startled beachgoers watched.
No injuries were reported from the incident.
The Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron said it is conducting a safety review after the aircraft deviated from standard flight profiles. A statement from the squadron said that “during an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas.”
Video footage shared widely on social media showed the moment the jet passed low over the shoreline, its exhaust blasting across the sand and sending lightweight beach equipment airborne. Some beachgoers in the footage could be heard cheering; one person described the experience as “amazing,” while others described the shock of the sudden low pass.
The incident adds to a series of military aviation events in recent months. MSI previously reported that two Navy jets collided during an Idaho air show in May, with all four crew members ejecting safely. In another incident in July, the Pentagon returned eight South Carolina Air National Guard pilots to duty after a Fourth of July flyover.