Pilot and Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss died on Thursday afternoon in Tennessee during training exercises for the upcoming Great American Air Show. Details about the tragic accident have come out and it appears that the pilot’s heroic acts may have prevented many, many more casualties.
As the plane went down, Kuss seemingly purposely refused to eject so that he could maneuver the aircraft away from an apartment building.
When asked why Kuss, a seasoned pilot, did not eject from the doomed plane, Dick Walstad knew exactly why.
“A populated area, a bunch of kids,” says Walstad. “To prevent further casualties. He was a hero, a hero.”
Walstad is familiar with the Blue Angels, because the military stunt plane team perform at the “AirSho” in Fargo, ND, where he is the organizer.
Other military aviators agree with Walstad that Kuss was a hero that made the ultimate sacrifice to not endanger any other people.
https://twitter.com/DanIsett/status/738489407217405952
Kuss, 32-years-old, was married with two children.
The body of Kuss was flown out of Smyrna Airport in Tennessee on Saturday on a Navy C-130 plane to Pensacola, Florida where the jet team is based out of.
More than a dozen police cars and official vehicles guided a white hearse from Murfreesboro into Smyrna before Kuss’ body was loaded onto the plane. People braved the rain and lined Murfreesboro Road, waving American flags and wiping tears as the procession passed.
Thank you for your service Captain Jeff Kuss.
Honor the Fallen
Capt Jeff Kuss, a Blue Angels pilot, died June 2nd in an aircraft mishap.
Semper Fidelis, Marine pic.twitter.com/aS3cm9kn9I
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) June 4, 2016
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