Crime & Safety
Thunderbirds Pilot From Chelmsford Crashes After Air Force Graduation Performance
The pilot, Major Alex Turner, was able to eject from the plane safely and was not injured.
A Chelmsford-born pilot with the elite U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed Thursday after performing at the Air Force Academy Graduation in Colorado Springs, Air Force officials tweeted. The pilot, Major Alex Turner, was able to eject from the plane before it went down and was not injured during the crash.
A @AFThunderbirds jet crashed in a field outside Colorado Springs after performing at the @AF_Academy graduation. 1/2
— Air Combat Command (@USAF_ACC) June 2, 2016
The pilot of the #6 jet ejected safely and is walking around unhurt. More details will be released as they become available. 2/2
Find out what's happening in Chelmsfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In Turner's Thunderbirds team member page it is stated that he flies the No. 6 jet.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown. Units from Peterson Air Force Base responded to the scene along with local police and fire officials, according to a Tweet. Nobody on the ground was injured during the crash, officials said on Twitter.
Find out what's happening in Chelmsfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Our @PeteAFB is responding along with local fire and police. Thanks for your patience. We're trained for this. https://t.co/Hvj3BwvC58
— AF Space Command (@AFSpace) June 2, 2016
Turner has logged more than 1,200 flight hours during his career with the Air Force with more than 270 combat hours over Libya and Iraq, according to his Thunderbirds page. He also served as an F-16 instructor at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
In a separate incident one person is dead after a U.S. Navy Blue Angel jet crashed Thursday afternoon near Nashville, Tennessee, according to multiple reports.
[Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds]
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