Blue Angels Clip Wings; 1 Pilot Forced to Eject

Two of the Navy’s Blue Angel jets collided over Superstition Mountain in El Centro during a practice exercise, causing one pilot to eject before his plane crashed, authorities said Tuesday.

Marine Capt. Chase Moseley safely ejected from his F/A-18 Hornet after he and another pilot clipped wings while flying in a diamond formation, said Petty Officer Kathleen Pettaway, a spokeswoman for the Blue Angels.

The other pilot, Cmdr. Pat Moneymaker, safely landed after the accident, which occurred at 12:35 p.m. Tuesday. The other two Blue Angel pilots also returned to the Naval Air Facility in El Centro, their winter training home.

In the diamond formation, a trademark of the Blue Angels, one pilot leads, two fly side by side, and the fourth follows. During air shows, pilots sometimes fly the diamond formation with their wings overlapping.

During Tuesday’s mishap, Moneymaker flew in the lead position and Moseley flew on the right-hand side of the diamond.

“The two planes touched or bumped, and one pilot determined that it was not safe to stay with the aircraft,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Bob Howard, a spokesman for the Pacific Fleet’s Naval Air Force. “The other fellow decided that it was safe to stay with the aircraft.”

Officials said they did not know the extent of the damage to Moneymaker’s plane. Moseley’s plane, which cost about $30 million, was destroyed.

After parachuting, Moseley was taken to El Centro Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries, nursing supervisor Kirby Viestenz said.

The cause of the collision is under investigation, Pettaway said.

The Blue Angels are a precision drill team known for daredevil routines that they have performed since the group’s inception in 1946. The last Blue Angels accident occurred in February, 1987, when a pilot had to eject after an accident during training, Pettaway said.

The Blue Angels, also called the Naval Flight Demonstration Team, go through about six months of rigorous practice before beginning their nationwide performance season in May, Howard said. The pilots fly twice a day, six days a week, beginning each morning at 6 and ending in early afternoon. Briefings and a physical fitness program take up the rest of the day.

The Blue Angels’ maneuvers are not special acrobatic tricks but “standard procedures flown by all Navy fighter pilots; it’s just that the Blues do them in formation,” Howard said.

Each year, hundreds of Navy pilots apply for the two or three openings that usually occur on the seven-member team. Those selected have flown thousands of hours and are considered the cream of Navy pilots.