Thunderbirds now a Blue Angel all today?
Having flown this sort of formation demos I can attest to the inherent danger always lurking just a hiccup away. My prayers go up for them all.
US warplanes now held together with bubble gum and bailing wire..?
BA#6 right after takeoff off the end of the runway. I hope not, but one cause could be G-Lock as the #6 executes an abrupt hard G pull up after rotation on his takeoff. The other 5 were airborne and there was no attempt to eject by the pilot of #6. Not to many double engine failures to cause a crash other than complete turbine failure taking out both engines, but not likely. Other cause could be stab failure or have both flight control computers fail at once, but again why no ejection unless the seat was still pinned?
Active Duty ping.
New video shows #6 takeoff and sharp G pull up and Immelmann at the top of the loop. But he is supposed to complete a low G pull at 3 to 4 G’s back toward the runway. He does not and when vertical pointed down does another half roll while descending away from the field and begins a slow or late pull up from the vertical. G lock could have induced a slow reaction and by the time he began his pull may have entered a high speed stall as a result and was unable to pull out. Could have had a stab or hydraulic failure with no time to recover as well. In either case he nearly brings the Hornet back to horizontal while accelerating down from the top of the loop, but not towards the runway as he normally would. At the time he either had a minor G-Lock or possible flight control malfunction and attempted to reset his FCS computer on the way down. Also not routine are the rolls he does while still in the vertical climb after the hard G pull up at takeoff. The pull is an instantaneous 7 to 10 G pull after accelerating down the runway. Still suspect partial G lock and a late or sluggish recovery. The Hornet will seek 1G flight when you let go of the stick, so he was not out cold after the top of the loop because he pulled hard over the top on the stick at the top of his Immelmann, indicating he was still pulling on the stick.