The U.S. Navy’s elite Blue Angels squadron is reviewing one of its own jets after it roared so low over a beach that it sent chairs and umbrellas flying. The Wednesday-morning stunt happened during a “Breakfast with the Blues” event at Florida’s Pensacola Beach on the Gulf Coast barrier island of Santa Rosa, as reported by ABC News. Footage of the pass went viral across social media.
In a statement, the squadron said an aircraft “flew lower than standard profiles” during an arrival maneuver, calling it a “low-altitude pass” that caused “a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas.” Ashley Korn was stunned. “I’ve been coming for 10 years and I’ve never seen a pass like that in my life,” she told North Florida ABC affiliate WEAR-TV. “I literally thought we were going to be taken out by Blue Angels, but it was amazing.” The squadron said the safety of its community, spectators, and pilots is its “highest priority,” adding that leadership is conducting “a thorough safety review.” Whether anyone faces consequences may depend on who is watching. When eight South Carolina National Guard Apache pilots were grounded over a low July Fourth flyover, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 46, intervened within hours, posting on social media, “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots,” before the suspensions were lifted.
