Blue Angels Plane Crash in Smyrna, TN … Pilot Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss Killed

Sadly, Blue Angles pilot dies in plane crash …

A pilot was killed after a U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet crashed Thursday afternoon in Smyrna, TN ahead of the Great Tennessee Airshow this weekend (VIDEO). The F/A-18 Hornet crashed at 3 p.m. behind the Sam Davis Home, about 2 miles from the runway. The pilot was identified as 32 year old Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss. According to the Blue Angels, Capt. Kuss is a native of Durango, Colorado. He joined the Blue Angels in September 2014 and has accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours and 175 carrier-arrested landings. Our condolences to his family and friends. God bless and rest in peace. Last night there was a vigil for Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss.

Six elite military jets of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight team roared over Middle Tennessee on Thursday, but the cheers from fans on the ground in just hours turned to wails.

“Oh no, no, no, God bless his soul.”

Pilot Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss was killed Thursday when his jet crashed at 3:01 p.m. just off Smyrna Airport, a U.S. official told the Associated Press. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Kuss and five of his colleagues in matching blue jets were in the air practicing for the Great Tennessee Airshow this weekend.

The fatal crash was the first in nearly a decade involving the Navy’s acrobatic performance jets, whose flights are meant to showcase pride in the military. Local and federal investigators rushed to the scene looking for the cause. The community mourned the 32-year-old pilot, husband and father of two.