There will be no official scolding after Pensacola Beach got a closer-than-planned look at the Blue Angels this week. Officials said a Navy jet from the elite demonstration team made a "low-altitude pass" Wednesday morning that was so close it reportedly knocked over beach chairs and umbrellas, prompting a safety review, per ABC News. Video appears to show several low passes during the "Breakfast with the Blues" event, including along the water line, where people had gathered to watch, and directly over a lifeguard hut, triggering screams from the watchers. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an unperturbed comment about the flight, and a Navy official confirmed there will be "no reprimands," per Forbes.
"I've been coming for 10 years and I've never seen a pass like that in my life," beachgoer Ashley Korn told local station WEAR, adding she briefly thought a jet might hit the crowd. A boy described minor injuries to his leg from flying tent supports, but said the show was worth it. In a statement, the squadron said an aircraft "flew lower than standard profiles" during an arrival maneuver, and stressed that the safety of spectators, the local community, and pilots remains its "highest priority." Officials were then reportedly examining what happened and whether all Navy and FAA rules were followed.
But on Thursday morning, Trump administration officials aligned in dismissing the upset, per the AP. "The flyovers will continue until morale improves," Hegseth posted on his personal X account. "Carry on Patriots," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted, adding a photo showing a Blue Angels jet with a wingtip just feet above the heads of beachgoers. "It's okay to love America," the White House tweeted with a cartoon showing people on a beach taking photos of a Blue Angels jet. "No reprimands. No firings. No problem," acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao later posted, along with "That's the sound of Freedom!"
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