{"id":8539,"date":"2026-07-17T10:23:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T05:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8539"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:23:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T05:23:47","slug":"hegseth-backs-low-altitude-military-flyovers-as-a-series-of-maneuvers-draws-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8539","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth backs low-altitude military flyovers as a series of maneuvers draws scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \"><span class=\"oyrPY qlwaB AGxeB  \">WASHINGTON &#8212; <\/span>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is sticking to <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/national-guard-south-carolina-helicopter-suspension-442733ffb1f4f08f598e9a9ef7873ada\">encouraging low-altitude military flyovers<\/a> after a fighter jet buzzed a Florida beach during a show this week, raising new scrutiny after the Pentagon has dismissed a series of safety reviews of such flights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In the latest maneuver, video spreading widely on social media shows a jet from the Navy&#8217;s demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, flying so low over a crowded beach in Pensacola on Wednesday that chairs and tents went flying, sand kicked up and children held their hands over their ears.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The U.S. Navy said in a statement shortly afterward that it was \u201cconducting a thorough safety review.&#8221; Then on Thursday morning, a host of Trump administration officials heaped praise on the maneuver.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThe flyovers will continue until morale improves,\u201d Hegseth wrote on his personal X account, without elaborating. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Pentagon\u2019s top spokesman, Sean Parnell, wrote \u201cCarry on Patriots\u201d on social media alongside a photo showing a Blue Angels jet with a wingtip just feet above the heads of beachgoers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The White House tweeted a cartoon showing people on a beach taking photos of a Blue Angels jet, with the words \u201cFreedom\u201d and \u201cIt&#8217;s okay to love America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">It is at least the third time that Hegseth and others have voiced <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kid-rock-nashville-helicopter-army-suspended-4c836ebc661bce8aa4e4d5ae5b98a246\">support for military aviators performing maneuvers<\/a> that, while often popular with the crowds experiencing them, have drawn public scrutiny and military investigations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In two prior cases, Hegseth&#8217;s remarks led to the end of the safety investigations. In the Florida flight, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, a Trump administration political appointee, said the Navy had \u201cno problem\u201d with the flight and there would be no reprimands or firings. His social media post was retweeted by Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Cao&#8217;s post said Thursday that the Blue Angels conducted a \u201cflight debrief.\u201d Navy officials would not say if that debrief \u2014 typically a routine occurrence after every flight \u2014 was the \u201cthorough safety review\u201d the Navy said it would conduct the day prior.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Flyovers at low altitudes like these have been linked to a number of past crashes, said Jeff Guzzetti, an aviation safety consultant who used to investigate crashes for both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cIt\u2019s shocking to me as an aviation safety professional that the top leaders of the military would excuse this type of reckless behavior,\u201d he said. \u201cA cavalier attitude like that can only lead to accidents in my view.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Florida flyover comes after video emerged in March of two Army helicopters hovering near <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kid-rock-helicopter-army-82ce846e483e4202eda6a655d70946a7\">Kid Rock\u2019s Tennessee home<\/a> during a training run while he clapped and saluted. The Army initially said that the helicopter crews were suspended pending a safety investigation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Days later, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kid-rock-nashville-helicopter-army-suspended-4c836ebc661bce8aa4e4d5ae5b98a246\">Hegseth lifted their suspension<\/a> and ended the investigation saying, \u201cNo punishment. No Investigation. Carry on, patriots.\u201d The singer is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Months later, eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots were suspended following a low-flying sweep by Army Apache helicopters over beachgoers as part of a July 4 event honoring service members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Less than a week after the event, Hegseth again said he was intervening, writing on social media: \u201cWe\u2019ll fix this.&#8221; The next day, Parnell posted that &#8220;effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted.\u201d He added to his social media post, \u201cCarry on Patriots.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When asked if Thursday&#8217;s posts, which use the same phrasing as the prior two cases, meant that Hegseth&#8217;s office was halting another safety investigation, Jacob Bliss, a Pentagon spokesman, said he had \u201cnothing further to provide at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Guzzetti said the military&#8217;s top leaders are excusing unprofessional and dangerous behavior from military aviators. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThat sends out a powerful signal that this type of deviant behavior is acceptable and, in fact, desired,&#8221; he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s dangerous. That\u2019s the antithesis of a good safety culture.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Former Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo said these flyovers probably don\u2019t violate military rules because the Pentagon doesn\u2019t have the same restrictions on flying low over people that the FAA imposes on civilian flights. But that doesn\u2019t mean they are a good idea \u2014 particularly the risky maneuvers that Blue Angels pilots perform.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThey are air demonstration teams, and what they do is exceedingly dangerous \u2014 amazing and wonderful \u2014 but dangerous,&#8221; said Schiavo, who is also a pilot and used to work in air shows years ago. \u201cAnd so it is really not something to be performed over people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Florida beachgoer Alexandra Belcher, 34, called the Blue Angels flyover this week a once-in-a-lifetime experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how close it was, until everyone around me was like, \u2018That was so cool,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt was not normal, but it was such a blessing to be able to witness that with everybody that I was with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share internal planning, said the Blue Angels\u2019 next show on Saturday will go on as scheduled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dc-plane-crash-army-helicopter-ntsb-cause-c2ebc159a163068b782dd4824097b00b\">Army was sharply criticized by the NTSB<\/a> during the investigation of <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b\">last year\u2019s midair collision<\/a> between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet near Washington for failing to identify and address the hazards that contributed to the <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/army-helicopter-crash-american-airlines-e7f82e0eac79ad1d8771cb6d7a4fc7e5\">crash that killed 67 people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The NTSB said it found that \u201cthe Army\u2019s aviation safety system failed to consistently detect, interpret, and act on signals of latent hazards, resulting in degraded safety assurance, organizational learning, and safety culture.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Even basic flyovers, like the kind Hegseth is defending, have been known to turn deadly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In April 2025, a Japanese woman was killed after the propeller wash from an Air Force HH-60W helicopter knocked her down on a concrete walkway, causing severe head injuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A subsequent Air Force investigation noted that key factors leading to the mishap included \u201callowing deviation from safe spectator distances\u201d as defined by the Air Force and \u201can operational mindset fostering a false confidence of safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In 2011, Cmdr. Dave Koss, then-head of the Blue Angels, voluntarily stepped down days after a performance at a regional air show where he carried out a low-altitude maneuver that was called \u201cunacceptable\u201d in a Navy statement at the time. The Blue Angels had to cancel several of their air shows that year as a result.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. AP writer Beatrice Dupuy contributed from New York.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON &#8212; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is sticking to encouraging low-altitude military flyovers after a fighter jet buzzed a Florida beach during a show this week, raising new scrutiny after the Pentagon has dismissed a series of safety reviews of such flights. In the latest maneuver, video spreading widely on social media shows a jet&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d5e47b18-4f96-45f2-83eb-1cb7bf731447\/wirestory_c2601ce50f433996c919464f1de7985c_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}