Blue Angels conducting review after jet flies over Florida beachgoers

-- Officials with the U.S. [ABC13 Eyewitness News]

The Navy's renowned aerobatic unit has launched an internal review following an incident Wednesday morning at Pensacola Beach, Florida, where one of its jets descended significantly below typical flight altitudes during a demonstration, prompting concern among beachgoers.

The aircraft executed what Navy officials characterized as a lower-than-standard arrival maneuver while participating in the "Breakfast with the Blues" event, part of the ongoing Pensacola Beach air show scheduled through Saturday. Video footage circulated on social media captured the jet passing so low over the crowded shoreline that sand and personal belongings scattered across the beach, including knocked-over beach chairs and umbrellas.

The Blue Angels, the Navy's elite precision flying team composed of more than 150 active-duty sailors and Marines, released a statement acknowledging the occurrence. "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 unit said. Navy and Federal Aviation Administration regulations require strict adherence to altitude parameters during public demonstrations.

Ashley Korn, a longtime attendee of the air show, expressed astonishment at what she witnessed. "I've been coming for 10 years and I've never seen a pass like that in my life," Korn told a local affiliate. "I literally thought we were going to be taken out by Blue Angels, but it was amazing."

The Blue Angels stated that public safety remains paramount in their operations. "The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority," the squadron said in its statement. "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."

The demonstration team, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola during the April through December air show season, conducts training operations at Naval Air Facility El Centro in California from January to March.