The U.S. Navy announced that it will be conducting a safety review after videos began circulating online of the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron flying dangerously close to civilians on a Florida beach.
The service acknowledged that an aircraft from the Navy’s Blue Angels flew “lower than standard profiles” over Pensacola Beach on Wednesday, creating a disturbance that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas.
“The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority,” the Navy said. “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.”
Despite the tenor of the Navy’s statement, the Trump administration appeared to embrace the incident.
“The flyovers will continue until morale improves,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post.
On X, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell uploaded a screen grab from one of the viral videos with a caption that read, “Carry on patriots.”
And the White House posted an animated picture of the event with the word “freedom” emblazoned across it and a caption that said, “It’s okay to love America.”
Founded in 1946, the Navy Blue Angels comprise 158 active-duty sailors and Marines who perform flight demonstrations across the country.
The Blue Angels briefly suspended operations in 2011 after four jets flew too close to the ground at Lynchburg Regional Air Show, Virginia, prompting a safety review.
Blue Angels Commander Dave Koss voluntarily stepped down less than a week later after performing what he said was a “maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude.”
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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