تحطم طائرتين حربيتين في أمريكا في غضون ساعات
بعد مرور ساعات على تحطم طائرة حربية أمريكية في محيط قاعدة كولورادو سبرينغز الجوية، الخميس 2 يونيو/حزيران، وردت أنباء حول وقوع حادث مماثل في معرض للطيران في ولاية تينيسي شرق البلاد. وحسب وسائل إعلام محلية، فإن طائرة حربية من طراز "إف-18" تابعة لمجموعة "Blue Angels" للطيران، تحطمت في مدينة سميرنا بولاية تينيسي، يوم الخميس.
Photos of pilot ejecting before Thunderbird crash in Colorado Springs
Jun 02, 2016
Pilot parachutes to safety before Thunderbird crashes
A Thunderbird pilot was able to parachute to safety after aircraft issues caused his jet to go down in the Security-Widefield area Thursday afternoon.
The crash happened immediately following the annual Thunderbird performance at the Air Force Academy graduation. Witnesses say the plane landed in a field near the Powers and Fontaine intersection, across the street from First Baptist Church-Peaceful Valley. The field is owned by El Paso County.
The aircraft was on its final approach to the Colorado Springs Airport, according to Peterson Air Force Base spokesperson Jeff Bohn.
"The indication that we have that we received there radio-wise is that he did have an issue with the aircraft and that he was getting out of the aircraft," Thunderbirds spokesperson Christopher Hammond said.
Hammond said the pilot was close to a residential area when he started having problems.
"He made a conscious effort to maneuver his aircraft away from neighborhoods," he said.
Debbie Cooper had pulled over near Powers and Fontaine to take pictures of the Thunderbirds for her grandsons when she noticed something wasn't quite right.
Pilot parachutes to safety before Thunderbird crashes