Pilot killed in S.C. Blue Angel crash

[DeclinetoState]

:(

By BRUCE SMITH, Associated Press Writer
11 minutes ago

BEAUFORT, S.C. - A Navy Blue Angel jet crashed during an air show Saturday, plunging into a neighborhood of small homes and trailers and killing the pilot.

Witnesses said the planes were flying in formation during the show at the Marine Corps Air Station at about 4 p.m. and one dropped below the trees and crashed, sending up clouds of smoke.

Raymond Voegeli, a plumber, was backing out of a driveway when the plane ripped through a grove of pine trees, dousing his truck in flames and debris. He said wreckage hit "plenty of houses and mobile homes."

"It was just a big fireball coming at me," said Voegeli, 37. "It was just taking pine trees and just clipping them."

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070421/capt.24d0a55346e345329379c18025b95cd0.blue_angel_c rash_albin101.jpg?x=180&y=125&sig=kXqC_AuQ8MK8BmQvv3pB_g--
AP (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070422/ap_on_re_us/blue_angel_crash;_ylt=Alqz5a1CgIIw3zkhOL4uGPGs0NUE )

Hope it was just an unfortunate accident and not sabotage.

[BEST45CAL]

Bird strikes were very common when I was stationed out there, but they don't normally do much damage, even if they go into the engines. Whatever happened, happened really quick because he didn't have time to get his jet over the water.

[Incident_command]

#6 Opposing solo. Damn. These guys are incredible. I love military aviation and go to most airshows in Fl. A few years back I had the Fire/EMS detail at an airshow where Ian Groom crashed his Sukhoi 31 and will never forget that.
Gods grace to the pilot and his family. The pilot didn't punchout so one might assume he was trying to keep his aircraft away from people. Whatever the reason we lost a great Naval Aviator today

http://www.airshowbuzz.com/forums/uploads/1168907650/med_gallery_198_35_2561075.jpg

#6 at Oceana last year.

[Patriot Heart]

How tragic. Prayers for the warrior and his family.

[DesertFox]

Better him than me, but still -- why can't Alec Baldwin die rather than one of the country's best? or Ted Kennedy? or Bill Clinton? or HILLARY Clinton? or Al Sharpton? or Little Tommy Daschle? or Bela Pelosi? or Noam Chomsky? or Maureen Dowd? or Commie John Conyers? or Joe Conason? or Sheets Byrd? or Leaky Leahy? or Frank Rich? or Helen Thomas? or Calypso Louie Farrakhan? or Jimmy Carter? or Paul Begala? or John Effen Kerry? or Algae Algore? or Pinch Sulzberger? or Jesse Jackson? or Rich Guy Soros? or the ACLU? or James Carville? or Michael Moore? or Ward Churchill? or ...

[Incident_command]

http://www.blueangels.org/TYNDALLAFB2007%20079.jpg
RIP
http://www.blueangels.org/

[Suzie]

It's an amazing talent these guys have. Such a loss. :(