Monday, April 23, 2007

Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station, April 21, 2007, 3.42pm


My airplane was in the civilian display area for the airshow at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. My wife and I own a home on Ladies Island, about 5 miles as the crow flies from the Air Station. I had been tending the airplane and watching little kids enjoy playing pretend doing the zoom whoosh zoom pretend play inside my cockpit.

When the B-2 flyover and Angels show started I closed the cabin door and paid attention to the Air Show. I had 2 other pilots with me, people that I had met 'online' in various listservs who just happened to be there. We had a perfect seat since every time they overflew the crowd at 500 feet or so they came right over the top of us. We were standing with the heads on a swivel as we watched the various maneuvers. As we watched the Fleur de lis, which is the next to last maneuver, and then the final center show break pass [which was NOT very good -the timing was way off as the 6 different airplanes hit the center point spread over perhaps a second - not much, but very noticable] they zoomed up into the vertical to reform for the center show break. They reformed from the vertical and then blasted out in separate directions. I mentioned to Wade that it was interesting that in this maneuver none of the aircraft were ever aimed at the crowd or show center. He made a comment about the airshow accidents in the past and the new safety precautions were simple and did not really change the show at all.

We then turned as they flew over and watched them three of them easily reform. We saw two others catch up from behind and the right wing on that last maneuver had blasted way off to the west and was starting to come back toward the formation of three. I watched him pass behind the group from my perspective, and then make the turn back in toward the formation. He was in tight reef as he needed to change direction 180 degrees and then catch back up. As completed the 180 deg. turn, still in a bank, he just slid off right down below the tree line and then a huge plume of black smoke erupted. I knew what I saw, and my other 2 pilot friends knew what they saw as well. We looked a each other with a 'did you just see what I saw look.' I went oh shit in my mind. It seemed like no one else around us knew what happened. The aircraft were low to the ground, and 3-4 miles away so it took pretty good vision to pick out what was happening. All the pilots around us seemed to start looking around immediately. you could see it happen.

Then the Blue Angels reformed for the last maneuver which was the Delta, all six jets in a delta formation zooming in and down the runway to a carrier break. Any doubt we had was removed when only 5 jets showed up for the Delta. Even so, most people did not know enough to count the jets but you could see the pilots around us looking up and counting. Then, we heard sirens from the base start up, while the Angels were landing. Then the rescue helicopter, sitting strip alert, spooled up and took off in the direction of the smoke virtually at the same instant we heard the sirens. The pilots and crew of the various airplanes all seemed to look around, then at each other and then down. All at the same time. The Blue Angels announcer continued the show patter, since, from where he was, he could not see either smoke or what happened.

All around us happy, smiling people were leaving the airshow, after a great display. Those who knew were in a surreal situation. I know I wanted to scream to everyone around me - 'can't you see what just happened!!!' Of course, when there are 50,000 around you, that would not be very productive. The police locked down the base and pretty quickly, people started figuring out something was wrong. But not sure what. One guy came over with his family and asked me what was going on - and I told him and he did not believe me. The smoke was gone by then. He found out later.

So, I hope LCDR Kevin Davis caught his three wire and died doing what he loved. The CNN video clearly shows what we saw. I have my suspicions with what happened, and we'll let the Navy figure it all out. Can't hide the physics of something, and they'll know once they get into the F-18 sims and recreate the accident. I hope something crucial broke, or a bird strike into the cockpit, both of which explain what I saw. There are lots and lots of migrating birds in the marshes and fish filled waters of Beaufort County South Carolina. There was no burst of flame from the airplane before it hit the ground, so if it was a bird strike, it was not into an engine.

LCDR Davis died doing what he loved and what fewer than 500 men have done in the entire history of the world. A proud accomplishment. A sad time for his family.

1 comment:

little things said...

I grew up with a boy whose pilot father died in a Blue Angels crash. I've been searching the internet, and haven't found a list of pilots anywhere to confirm what I'd heard.
I do know that their home always seemed a little lonely. The spector of Dad's death hung over the house like a shroud.
I also saw and heard a 4 seater crash last summer, while floating down the river. It was one of the worst sounds I've ever heard.