2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash

Aviation accident October 2026 October 2026 2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash 21 April 2007 Reduced consciousness from high acceleration Accident Near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Beaufort, South Carolina, United States 1 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet United States Navy aerobatic team the Blue Angels 162897 1 0 1 8 0 8 The 2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash occurred on Saturday, 21 April 2007, when the Number 6 US Navy Blue Angels jet crashed during the final minutes of an air show at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in Beaufort, South Carolina.22 April 2007 U.S. Navy "Blue Angels" jet crashes https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/us-navy-blue-angels-jet-crashes-idUSN21224018/ 18 August 2025 Reuters en-GB The pilot, Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis, died. Eight people were injured on the ground.Dowd Katie 5 October 2023 The Blue Angels — an SF Fleet Week mainstay — have an astonishingly deadly history https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/deadly-history-of-blue-angels-17476731.php 17 August 2025 SFGATE The Navy report attributed the crash to pilot error, when LCDR Davis executed a fast and tight maneuver that exposed him to much higher acceleration than usual. The high acceleration caused him to become disoriented and lose track of how close he was to the ground. In response, the Navy increased standards for Blue Angels pilots to train for high levels of acceleration.Donahue Patrick 6 January 2009 Blue Angels to retool training in wake of '07 S.C. crash https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article12246860.html 17 August 2025 The Herald (Rock Hill) Accident thumb|right|Blue Angel #5, Lt. Cmdr. John Allison, lead solo pilot and Blue Angel #6, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin J. Davis, opposing solo pilot, perform the fortus, a wingtip-to-wingtip maneuver, during Lt. Cmdr. Davis' fatal flightLowcountry Mourns Loss of Fallen Blue Angel https://web.archive.org/web/20071121221609/http://the-jetsstream.wehaa-server.com/catalog.php?catalog_id=18 21 November 2007 (PDF version https://web.archive.org/web/20070620102413/http://www.thejetstreamonline.com/issues/pdfs/jet042707.pdf 20 June 2007 ), The Jet Stream online, USMC, 27 April 2007 print edition thumb|upright|Family friends identified the downed pilot as Kevin "Kojak" Davis At approximately 4p.m., all six McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets of the Blue Angels were making their final turns into the landing pattern when Lt. Cmdr. Davis, piloting Blue Angel #6, left the pack.23 April 2007 Blue Angel Pilot Killed in Air Show Crash Identified http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=29011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070430114048/http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=29011 30 April 2007 US Navy NNS070423-01 The plane crashed in a residential neighborhood about three miles from the Marine Corps Air Station.22 April 2007 Blue Angel Plane Crashes at South Carolina Air Show, Killing Pilot https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/us/22angels.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150605081738/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/us/22angels.html 5 June 2015 17 August 2025 Associated Press en New York Times This was followed by a plume of black smoke, which Blue Angel #1 immediately began to circle while the others landed. Several rescue helicopters and local emergency vehicles went to the crash site in response to 9-1-1 calls.Blue Angel crashes; pilot killed; eyewitness reports home caught fire https://web.archive.org/web/20070928215543/http://www.beaufortgazette.com/breaking_news/story/6477257p-5768379c.html 28 September 2007 Aftermath The Blue Angels returned to their home base at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, to discuss continuing their season.Blue Angels back home to mourn pilot Associated Press Boston Herald 24 April 2007 http://news.bostonherald.com/national/south/view.bg?articleid=196360 https://archive.today/20070823000754/http://news.bostonherald.com/national/south/view.bg?articleid=196360 dead 23 August 2007 Sunday's air show went on as planned but, in a special tribute, the GEICO Skytypers flew the missing man formation in honor of the fallen Blue Angel. Soon after LCDR Davis’ crash, the Blue Angels began performing a five-jet demonstration. The squadron called back former Blue Angel, LCDR Craig Olson, to fill the opposing solo position. LCDR Olson had previously served with the squadron from 2003 to 2005, during which time he flew both solo positions.August 2025 A 2008 report from the Navy stated the main cause of the crash was pilot error. In an effort to catch up to the other pilots, LCDR Davis made a sharper-than-usual turn that subjected him to forces over six times the force of gravity. The resulting loss of blood flow to the brain likely caused LCDR Davis to experience tunnel vision, become disoriented, and lose track of how close he was to the ground.14 January 2008 Pilot error cited in 2007 Blue Angel crash https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22651166 17 August 2025 Associated Press NBC News Blue Angels pilots are not required to wear G-suits to compensate for high acceleration because the suit impairs movement in the cockpit; at any rate, the acceleration on LCDR Davis was too high for a G-suit to compensate for. The Navy increased the high-g training of Blue Angels pilots to prevent future crashes. The requirements are more frequent training in centrifuges and adopt higher physical fitness standards to counteract the risk of losing consciousness. See also 2016 Blue Angels Tennessee crash List of air show accidents and incidents References 2 External links Report information issued by the Pensacola JournalJanuary 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes JAG Manual Investigation Basic Report Redacted Copy 32 26 59 N 80 46 19 W region:US-SC_type:event title Category:Accidental deaths in South Carolina Blue Angels South Carolina crash, 2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash, 2007 Category:Beaufort County, South Carolina Category:Disasters in South Carolina Category:History of aerobatics Blue Angels crash Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in South Carolina Blue Angels South Carolina crash Category:Accidents and incidents involving United States Navy and Marine Corps aircraft Category:Beaufort, South Carolina