Pilot Error Cited in Blue Angel Crash

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A Navy Blue Angels pilot killed in a crash in a residential area last year apparently had become disoriented after failing to properly tense his abdominal muscles to counter the gravitational forces of a high-speed turn, The Associated Press has learned.

A report obtained by The Associated Press blamed the April crash on an error by Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis, who died when his F/A 18 Hornet went down near a Marine Corps station in Beaufort, S.C. Davis was in his first season flying in formation with the Navy's elite aerial demonstration team.

link to story

just an update

All condolences to his family

if u go to the comments--apparently there's a big debate over g suits---

they don't wear them---saying it would interfere with stick control---or possibly bumpinto the stick causing ctastrophe

yet a few pilots refute this---saying many wear suits now and have no problem

another comments they don't wear them because a" high up" didn't want them walking to the planes in big suits---it ruins the image or that they wouldn't "look right"

and another argues that the thunderbirds don't use g suits either and they have a side mounted stick---so bumping of stick makes no sense---which makes you ask---why not wear g suits

so although this cleared up some things---it's leaving me with a few more
questions


also many old timers say the old shows--20 to 30 years ago were way crazier---that todays shows are way scaled back and safer---supposedly they were real daredevils back in the day and many more high risk manuevers and tighter tolerances between planes and much closer to the ground tricks---which resulted in many chrashes----no proof---and do the research yourself---just what i was told -take it or leave it


another conspiracy????? oh gosh!!!!!!

Just since the eighties have air shows been more highly regulated, not so much for pilot safety, but for audience safety.

Globally, during that time, there were some horrific crashes that killed and injured many attendees.

I remember vividly the videos from those crashes.

I have experienced horror on that scale, but seeing people flying through the air and others enveloped in flames caused very intense feelings for me.