U.S. Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, member of the elite Navy Blue Angels demonstration squadron, died in a plane crash over Tennessee on June 2nd. He crashed during a practice run in preparation for the Great Tennessee Airshow in Smyrna, near Nashville.
In a news conference, Navy officials stated that they were unsure why the plane went down, and that they don’t know if the plane had a black box, or if the pilot had issued any distress calls before the crash. The Naval Air Forces will be investigating, according to Steve Fiebing, deputy public affairs officer for the Naval Air Forces.
The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach.
Kuss performed here at Westover during the Great New England Air Show in 2015.
“Captain Jeff Kuss was on the Blue Angels advance team for our 2015 Air Show,” said Lt. Col. James Bishop, Chief of public affairs at the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover. “He stood ramrod straight and spoke quickly, but he also had a quick smile and clearly enjoyed interacting with the civilians who were flying in the back seat with him that day. I’m sorry to hear about his loss.”
When Kuss arrived at Westover ahead of the rest of the demonstration squadron, he took local reporter, Laura Hutchinson; assistant principal of Coventry High School, Joseph Lucian; and chief of police for Leicester, Mass., Jim Hurley on the ride of a lifetime in his Boeing F/A-18 jet for a 40-minute flight.
“He was so professional and kind,” Hutchinson said. “He checked on me the entire flight and put me at ease. I never felt unsafe. He clearly knew what he was doing and could do this in his sleep,” she said.
According to the Blue Angels website, Navy and marine pilots must have aircraft carrier qualification and a minimum of 1250 tactical jet-flight hours in order to become a specific type of Blue Angels pilot. Members typically spend two years performing in this special-duty status before returning to their previous units.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” said Hutchinson. “I am devastated and heartbroken at his loss. I walked away from my flight with such an appreciation for our military and what they do.”