A Blue Angels jet has crashed in Smyrna, Tennessee, killing one person.
The plane crashed just south of Nashville around 3 p.m. Thursday. Officials with Rutherford County EMS said the crash happened during a practice flight.
They believed only one jet was involved.
@NC5_JKnutson @NC5 pic.twitter.com/fhLTl9LpZd
— Mark King (@kingmark32) June 2, 2016
A witness said all of a sudden one of the planes flew by very close, then took a nose toward the ground.
She said the explosion was very powerful and that it could be felt in the ground and in her car.
The jet went down in a large field near the Smyrna Elementary School and bowling center.
Lots of emergency crews responding. We're heading to a media staging area now. @NC5 pic.twitter.com/aG8mFxogn4
— Jesse Knutson (@NC5_JKnutson) June 2, 2016
The Blue Angels made their first appearance 70 years ago on May 10, 1946
Before today, there have been 26 Blue Angel pilots killed at air shows or training exercises.
The most recent death was in 2007 when Lt. Cmdr Kevin Davis was killed in a crash at Beaufort, South Carolina.
