DEVELOPING: A U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet crashed Thursday in central Tennessee, a Navy official confirmed to Fox News.
The crash involving the F/A-18 Hornet happened after 3 p.m. southeast of Nashville in the town of Smyrna, a Rutherford County dispatcher told Fox 17.
There was no information on the condition of the pilot.
La Vergne, Tenn. Fire Chief Rick McCormick told Fox News that the jet crashed off airport property just after takeoff.
He added that the jet did not crash into buildings off the runway.
Commander Jeannie Grenaveld, a spokeswoman for Naval Air Forces, told Fox News the crash happened during a practice flight for the airshow in Smyrna. The Blue Angels are performing June 4 and 5 at the airport.
Becca Cullision-Burgess told Fox 17 she was in her shop "My Southern Charm" when she saw the crash.
"I've never seen such a big ball or orange fire before," she said.
The Blue Angels flew over downtown Nashville earlier in the day.
That seems really, really odd.An Air Force Thunderbird jet crashed Thursday in Colorado just after a flyover at a graduation ceremony for Air Force Academy cadets where President Barack Obama had spoken.
Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michal Kloeffler-Howard said the pilot ejected but there was no information on the pilot's condition. No injuries were reported on the ground.
Obama was still at the stadium taking photographs and greeting attendees in a private area during the air show that lasted about half an hour south of Colorado Springs.
News of the crash broke while Obama's motorcade was returning to Peterson Air Force Base for his flight back to Washington.
The crash occurred about 15 miles south of Peterson Air Force Base, where Air Force One was waiting to take off.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/02/ai ... tcmp=hpbt4





