LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The commander of the Air Force's Air Warfare Center has suspended, until
further notice, the 1999 U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds' aerial demonstration show schedule. The suspension was made
April 28.
Maj. Gen. Glen Moorhead made the decision after reviewing circumstances surrounding an incident during an air show
April 25 at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. "Safety is our No. 1 concern," Moorhead said. "We have
a responsibility to both the public and the team after an incident
like this to step back and take a hard look at our practices and procedures."
The incident occurred when two of the Air Force Thunderbird's F-16 Fighting Falcons made contact with each other
during a four-ship diamond formation takeoff. Both aircraft landed safely and received only minor damage, and neither
pilot was
injured.
This year's show schedule includes 66 demonstrations at 42 locations around the country.
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