Pilot Punches Out, Has A Tale To Tell!

ANN has confirmed that a Blue Angels F/A-18 twin engine jet fighter has gone down, during routine training, in the Gulf of Mexico.

The aircraft went down in the Gulf, near Perdido Key, at approximately 1445 local time, Wednesday. Another Blue Angels Hornet was in the air with the stricken aircraft when the pilot, whose name has yet to be released, punched out of the jet just before it impacted in the Gulf, some 6 miles off the coast and about 10 miles from Pensacola NAS. No cause for the ejection has been confirmed, though some local media sources are reporting that the pilot encountered mechanical problems. One eyewitness also claims that the aircraft lost power.

The pilot was evac'ed within 10 minutes of impact to the Pensacola Naval Hospital and appeared to be "in good condition." The $18 million Hornet has been located but is considered a total loss. This was the first week of training for the 2005 Blue Angels, according to Lt. Garrett Kasper, speaking for the Blue Angels. Flights earlier in the day put four other aircraft in the air and it is rumored that the flight that went afoul was a practice run for Blue Angels 5 and 6, the lead solo demo pilots who "usually fly together during practice flights." The 2005 team has added two new pilots and four new support members to their roster and are getting ready to head west for their annual winter practice sessions in El Centro, CA.

This is the first serious accident for the Blue Angels since 1999 when two pilots, Lt. Cmdr. Kieron O'Connor, 35, of Burtonsville, Md., and Lt. Kevin Colling, 32, of Castle Rock, Colo., lost their lives on Oct. 28, 1999 near Valdosta, Ga.

We'll have more information as we develop this story.

Note: Part Four of the Eclipse Owner's Conference series will be presented at a later date so that we can chase down the details of this breaking news story.

FMI: http://www.blueangels.navy.mil