Crash scene photo provided.
The pilot, Captain Jeff Kuss died after the jet crashed moments following the planes taking off during a practice flight around 3 p.m. on Thursday. According to media reports, the crash was the 26th fatality in Blue Angel’s history.
An eyewitness at the scene, Bill Lynch told our news partner WGNS Radio that when the jet went down there was a huge fireball.
The five other Blue Angels aircraft landed safely.
The Blue Angels had been practicing on Thursday for this weekend’s Great Tennessee Airshow in Smyrna.
