\u201cHe didn\u2019t make excuses,\u201d state Rep. Michelle Salzman, a military veteran whose district includes Pensacola, wrote<\/a> on Facebook on Friday of a conversation she said she had with the pilot<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t try to shift blame,\u201d the Republican state lawmaker added. \u201cHe simply talked about the [sic] miscalculated a turn<\/a>, something no pilot ever wants to experience, especially one who has dedicated his life to flying at the highest level of precision. More than anything, he talked about the weight he\u2019s been carrying since that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Salzman also shared a photo of herself and the pilot<\/a>, who appeared to be Lieutenant Chris Houben. The military has not publicly named who was responsible for the incident.<\/p>\n The Independent has contacted the Blue Angels<\/a> for comment and confirmation as to whether Houben was the pilot involved in Wednesday\u2019s flyover. <\/p>\n Navy Capt. Adam Bryan, commander of the Blue Angels, an elite public demonstration team, said earlier this week that the incident represented unsafe conduct.<\/p>\n \u201cThe pilot found himself, unfortunately, in a situation that we would deem unsafe over the beach,\u201d he told reporters<\/a> on Thursday. <\/p>\n \u201cWe never intend to fly over the crowd that low, and we\u2019ll heavily debrief it to ensure that, one, we continue on with safe flight demonstrations, and that we learn from those different things that happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Locals claimed that Houben\u2019s No. 3 jet had not been seen in rehearsals on Thursday and Friday for today\u2019s main events at the Pensacola Beach Airshow, resulting in calls to \u201cfree #3\u201d on social media<\/a>. <\/p>\n The Wednesday low-altitude pass sent chairs and umbrellas flying, and it touched off a heated debate on social media.<\/p>\n Donald Trump\u2019s administration, which has a history of clearing aviators accused of risky maneuvers in military aircraft, quickly praised the incident and said there would not be any disciplinary measures for the pilot.<\/p>\n \u201cFlight debrief complete,\u201d Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao wrote on X on Thursday. \u201cNo reprimands. No firings. No problem. That\u2019s the sound of Freedom!\u201d<\/p>\n A Pentagon spokesperson shared an image<\/a> of the flyover with the caption \u201cCarry on Patriots\u201d while the White House published a cartoon-style, apparently AI-altered image<\/a> with the tagline \u201cIt\u2019s OK to love America.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe flyovers will continue until morale improves,\u201d Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added in an X post of his own on Thursday. <\/p>\n White House allies joined in the praise.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t stand the manufactured outrage by the low-T mainstream media,\u201d the president\u2019s son Eric Trump wrote on X, using internet slang for low testosterone<\/a>. \u201cThis was undoubtedly the highlight of these people\u2019s day\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Others argued the administration was putting a stamp of approval on unsafe behavior, even after it has struggled with a string of aviation disasters in office, including a 2025 crash involving a military helicopter outside of Washington that killed 67 people<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s shocking to me as an aviation safety professional that the top leaders of the military would excuse this type of reckless behavior,\u201d former National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti told The Associated Press<\/a>. \u201cA cavalier attitude like that can only lead to accidents in my view.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman and military veteran, praised the Blue Angels for acknowledging the risks of the flyover and criticized the White House for turning the incident into a partisan flashpoint.<\/p>\n \u201cTo their credit the Blue Angels admit the flyover was unsafe,\u201d he wrote on X<\/a>, slamming \u201cnon-pilot MAGAs who made this somehow a litmus test for Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n The administration has intervened multiple times after military pilots were accused of unsafe public stunts.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, the Pentagon undid the suspension of eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots for a low sweep above a crowded beach during a Fourth of July event.\u201d<\/p>\n “Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,\u201d Pentagon<\/a> spokesman Sean Parnell said of the move. \u201cCarry on Patriots.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-16T024737Z_950500732_RC2QEMAQDZNF_RTRMADP_3_USA-BLUEANGELS.JPG\")
The Blue Angels pilot responsible for Wednesday\u2019s ultra-low-altitude flyby above a Florida beach reportedly considers the move a mistake, despite Trump administration praise for the maneuver (Partridge Drones\/Facebook)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-16T211111Z_1054347991_RC227MAILVLR_RTRMADP_3_USA-MILITARY-JETS.JPG\")
The commander of the Blue Angels, an elite public demonstration squadron, has called the beach buzz an \u2018unsafe\u2019 move (Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"Trump](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HG9GXfqWAAA6C1E.jpeg\")
Trump administration leaders have intervened on multiple occasions when military pilots were accused of unsafe stunts, including after Apache helicopters hovered just above the home of MAGA musician Kid Rock (U.S. Department of Defense via X)<\/p>\n