The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels are examining what happened after one of their jets made an unusually low pass over a Florida beach, startling spectators and scattering belongings across the sand.
Footage from Pensacola Beach shows crowds watching the famed flight demonstration team roar over the Gulf before one aircraft dropped close to the shoreline and sharply banked. The jet’s wake sent sand, beach chairs, tents and umbrellas tumbling as onlookers reacted.
The Blue Angels said the maneuver was below standard operating profiles and is now the subject of a safety review.
“During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas,” the Blue Angels, officially the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, said in a statement.
“The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority,” the team added. “Team leadership is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review to ensure all operations adhere to strict Navy and FAA safety standards.”
A Defense official appeared to comment on the incident Thursday. Sean Parnell, assistant to the Defense Secretary, said, “CARRY ON PATRIOTS,” as he posted a picture on social media of what appeared to be the flyover.
Earlier this month, four Apache helicopters conducted a controversial maneuver when they flew low over crowds gathered along the South Carolina coast on the Fourth of July. The pilots were suspended, which the South Carolina Army National Guard said was a “routine, non-punitive safety measure” and “not a disciplinary action.” Days later, the Pentagon said the suspensions were lifted.
The incident follows another high-profile military flyby earlier this year. In March, two AH-64 Army helicopters conducted a flyby to the Nashville home of singer Kid Rock during a training mission. The Army initially suspended the pilots while reviewing the matter, but the following day Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the suspensions had been lifted and that the pilots would not face an investigation or punishment.
