USAF Thunderbirds Cancel RI Air Show Appearance in Wake of Jet Crash

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI—The USAF Thunderbirds will not be performing at the Rhode Island National Guard Open House and Air Show this weekend in the skies over Quonset in the wake of a jet crash last week.

The Thunderbirds, a U.S. Air Force demonstration team, was stood down after the June 2 crash during which pilot Maj. Alex Turner safely ejected from the No. 6 jet near Peterson Air Force Base before it crashed. The order has since been lifted but the crash remains under investigation.

Tuesday was the first opportunity for the Thunderbirds to fly since the stand down order.

"As we begin practicing again, our show season is still on hold," a tweet from the Thunderbirds' Twitter account said. "As we begin practicing again, our show season is still on hold."

The Thunderbirds' planned participation in the Ocean City, MD airshow "is yet to be determined," according to the Thunderbirds.

The air show, which brings upwards of 75,000 people to Quonset State Airport, is scheduled for June 11 and 12.

Admission and parking to the show is free. There's a donation collection at the entrance. And the state is offering free train rides to get to and from the air show to avoid traffic.

The crash happened moments after a group of Thunderbird jets flew over a crowd listening to President Barack Obama addressing cadets at an Air Force Commencement. In an unusual twist, news of the crash broke as Obama's motorcade was on the road. Turner soon found himself shaking hands with the President.

Even more unusual—and tragic—was a second crash that occurred on the same day when 32-year-old Capt. Jeff Kuss was killed when his Navy Blue Angels jet crashed near Nashville.

Turner, who flies the No. 6 jet, is a Chelmsford, MA-native and has logged more than 1,200 flight hours during his career with the Air Force. Along with dazzling crowds with aerial acrobatics with the USAF Thunderbirds, he flew more than 270 combat hours over Libya and Iraq and has served as an F-16 instructor at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

For information about the Rhode Island Air Show, visit the official website and follow the show on Twitter and Facebook.