Officials with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels are reviewing a low-altitude flight that stirred chaos among a crowd of beachgoers in Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday morning, and sparked division online.
“During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas,” The Blue Angels told CBS News.
“The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority,” it continued.
Footage of the flyover, which occurred as part of the annual “Breakfast with the Blues” event, showed a jet soaring close to the ground with civilians screaming in shock as their beach items blew away.
Some spectators told ABC affiliate WEAR they were amazed by the flyover.
“I literally thought we were going to be taken out by Blue Angels, but it was amazing,” Ashley Korn told the outlet.
“It was huge because it was so close. All of our tents got knocked down. … It was worth it. It was awesome,” said Samantha Mayne, another spectator.
The low flyover sparked safety concerns online.
“We’ve gone from a helicopter at Kid Rock’s, to Apaches on the beach, to this legitimately dangerous flyover in Pensacola,” one user on X wrote. “This is what it looks like when your ‘SecWar’ is concerned with ‘low-T’ instead of discipline.”
“This is what happens when you have a president and secretary of war, who don’t punish those who break the rules,” another user wrote.
“This is not safe,” wrote former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). “I’m all for low passes, seriously but this is too much.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the controversy on X, writing, “The flyovers will continue until morale improves.”
A Blue Angels spokesperson told WEAR, “Team leadership is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review to ensure all operations adhere to strict Navy and FAA safety standards.”
Meanwhile, MAGA fans dismissed the possible safety hazard.
President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump told followers he “Can’t stand the manufactured outrage by the low-T mainstream media. This was undoubtedly the highlight of these people’s day….”