No reprimands after safety review of Blue Angels flyover at Florida beach

A Navy review of the circumstances behind a stunningly low Blue Angels flyover at a crowded Florida beach this week resulted in no reprimands.

“Flight debrief complete. No reprimands. No firings. No problem,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a Thursday afternoon post on X.

In videos widely shared on social media, a Blue Angels fighter jet is seen flying what appears to be just feet above onlookers Wednesday at Pensacola Beach.

The maneuver awed the crowd gathered to see the squadron practice but also sent umbrellas, chairs and sand flying.

“We got sugar cookied by the Blue (Angels),” one spectator wrote in a video shared by another poster on X.

Earlier Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to have weighed in on the maneuver.

“The flyovers will continue until morale improves,” Hegseth said in a post to his personal X account.

The Blue Angels could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

In a statement Wednesday to Pensacola ABC affiliate WEAR News, the Blue Angels said officials were reviewing the flyover and conducting a safety assessment to ensure adherence to Navy and Federal Aviation Administration standards.

FAA regulations require fixed-wing aircraft to remain at least 500 feet above the surface in uncongested areas and at least 500 feet from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure over open water or sparsely populated areas.

“The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority,” the Blue Angels said in the statement.

The flyover occurred during an early morning Blue Angels practice session for the Pensacola Beach Air Show, an annual event that showcases the flight demonstration squadron and draws hundreds of thousands of viewers. It ends Saturday.

Wednesday’s Navy flyover follows other recent high-profile events involving military aircraft that have drawn scrutiny.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon lifted the suspension of eight South Carolina National Guard AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots under investigation for a low beach flyover during Fourth of July celebrations.

In April, Hegseth halted the investigation and lifted the suspension of the pilots of two Apache helicopters involved in a low flyby around the Tennessee home of musician Kid Rock.

Those actions have drawn the concern of some social media commenters, who say pilots who perform such maneuvers should be punished.

“No matter how cool their (safe) fly-over was: Someone is always going to try to one-up them, and people are going to get hurt,” @thestinkeye, a self-described retired fighter pilot, posted Wednesday on X.

The Blue Angels, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet E/F fighter jet for demonstrations and the C-130J Super Hercules to carry personnel and equipment to shows, according to the squadron’s website.

The squadron celebrates its 80th anniversary this year.

Stars and Stripes reporters Jennifer Svan and John Vandiver contributed to this report.