In Memory of those "Blue Angels" who are no longer with us.
Lt. Ross "Robby" Robinson—29 September 1946: killed during a performance when a wingtip broke off his F8F-1 Bearcat, sending him into an unrecoverable spin.
Lt. Bud Wood—7 July 1952: killed when his F9F-5 Panther collided with another panther jet during a demonstration in Corpus Christi, Texas. The team resumed performances two weeks later.
Cmdr. Robert Nicholls Glasgow—14 October 1958: died during an orientation flight just days after reporting for duty as the new Blue Angels leader.
Lt. Anton M. Campanella (#3 Left Wing)—14 June 1960: killed flying an Grumman F-11A Tiger that crashed into the water near Fort Morgan, Alabama during a test flight.
Lt. George L. Neale—15 March 1964: killed during an attempted emergency landing at Apalach Airport near Apalachicola, Florida. Lt. Neale's F-11A Tiger had experienced mechanical difficulties during a flight from West Palm Beach, to Naval Air Station Pensacola, causing him to attempt the emergency landing. Failing to reach the airport, he ejected from the aircraft on final approach, but his parachute did not have sufficient time to fully deploy.
Lt. Cmdr. Dick Oliver—2 September 1966: crashed his F-11A Tiger and was killed at the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto.
Lt Frank Gallagher—1 February 1967: killed when his F-11A Tiger stalled during a practice Half Cuban Eight maneuver and spun into the ground.
Capt. Ronald Thompson—18 February 1967: killed when his F-11A Tiger struck the ground during a practice formation loop.
Lt. Bill Worley (Opposing Solo)—14 January 1968: killed when his Tiger crashed during a practice double Immelmann.
Lt. Larry Watters—14 February 1972: killed when his F-4J Phantom II struck the ground, upright, while practicing inverted flight, during winter training at NAF El Centro.
Lt. Cmdr. Skip Umstead (Team Leader), Capt. Mike Murphy, and ADJ1 Ron Thomas (Crew Chief)—26 July 1973: all three were killed in a mid-air collision between two Phantoms over Lakehurst, New Jersey, during an arrival practice. The rest of the season was cancelled after this incident.
Lt. Nile Kraft (Opposing Solo)—22 February 1977: killed when his Skyhawk struck the ground during practice.
Lt. Michael Curtin—8 November 1978: one of the solo Skyhawks struck the ground after low roll during arrival maneuvers at Naval Air Station Miramar, and Curtin was killed.
Lt. Cmdr Stu Powrie (Lead Solo)—22 February 1982: killed when his Skyhawk struck the ground during winter training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, just after a dirty loop.
Lt. Cmdr. Mike Gershon (Lead Solo)—13 July 1985: his Skyhawk collided with Lt. Andy Caputi (Opposing Solo) during a show at Niagara Falls, Gershon was killed and Caputi ejected and parachuted to safety.
Lt. Cmdr. Kieron O'Connor and Lt. Kevin Colling—28 October 1999: flying in the back seat and front seat of a Hornet, both were killed after striking the ground during circle and arrival maneuvers in Valdosta, Georgia.
Lt. Cmdr. Kevin J. Davis—21 April 2007: crashed his Hornet near the end of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort airshow in Beaufort, South Carolina, and was killed.
Capt. Jeff "Kooch" Kuss (Opposing Solo, #6)