The United State Air Force Thunderbirds were created in 1953. They have performed at over 4,000 airshows in front of more than 300 million people. Flying jets in close formation is inherently dangerous, here is a look at the accidents from throughout Thunderbirds history.
December 11, 1954: Captain George Kevil killed during solo training.
September 26, 1957: 1st Lieutenant Bob Rutte killed during solo training.
October 9, 1958: 19 people are killed when the team’s cargo plane crashes, making it the worst accident in Thunderbird history.
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March 12, 1959: Captain C. D. “Fish” Salmon killed during solo training.
July 27, 1960: Captain J. R. Crane killed during a solo proficiency flight.
April 6, 1961: Major Robert S. Fitzgerald and Captain George Nial killed during training.
May 9, 1964: Captain Eugene J. Devlin killed during a three-plane formation pass.
October 12, 1966: Major Frank Liethen and Captain Robert Morgan killed during a collision of two F-100s.
January 9, 1969: Captain Jack Thurman killed during solo training.
June 4, 1972: Major Joe Howard killed during the Transpo airshow at Dulles International Airport.
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December 21, 1972: Captain Jerry Bolt and Technical Sargent Charles Lynn killed during a flight test.
July 25, 1977: Captain Charlie Carter killed during maneuvers at F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
May 9, 1981: Captain Nick Hauck killed during an air show at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
September 8, 1981: Lieutenant Colonel David L. Smith killed during take off. Smith ejected from the plane, but his parachute did not deploy.
January 18, 1982: Major Norman L. Lowry, Captain Joseph N. Peterson and Captain Mark Melancon killed during training at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field.
September 14, 2003: Captain Chris Stricklin ejects during a “Split S” maneuver during an airshow at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Stricklin has only minor injuries and no one on the ground is injured.
June 2, 2016: Major Alex Turner ejects during a flyover at the United States Air Force Academy graduation ceremony. No one is injured.
June 23, 2017: Captain Erik Gonsalves injured during a landing prior to the Vectren Dayton Air Show. Passenger Technical Sargent Kenneth Cordova is trapped during the crash but uninjured.
April 4, 2018: Major Stephen Del Bagno killed during a training flight.