Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on his personal X account Thursday morning that the flyovers will continue until morale improves, one day after video spread widely on social media showing a Navy Blue Angels jet flying so low over a crowded Pensacola beach that chairs and tents went flying, sand kicked up and children held their hands over their ears. The U.S. Navy said in a statement shortly after Wednesday's incident that it was conducting a thorough safety review. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote "Carry on Patriots" on social media alongside a photo showing a Blue Angels jet with a wingtip just feet above the heads of beachgoers. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Navy had no problem with the flight and there would be no reprimands or firings.
It is at least the third time that Hegseth and others have voiced support for military aviators performing maneuvers that have drawn public scrutiny and military investigations. In two prior cases, Hegseth's remarks led to the end of the safety investigations. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, who investigated crashes for the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, said a cavalier attitude like that can only lead to accidents. Flyovers at low altitudes like these have been linked to a number of past crashes, Guzzetti said.