A US Navy pilot who flew an F/A-18 Super Hornet extremely low over a Florida beach will not face punishment after senior defense officials intervened to drop the probe, officials confirmed on July 16, 2026.
The low-altitude maneuver occurred during the Breakfast with the Blues airshow in Pensacola, sending beach chairs and umbrellas flying as the aircraft banked left just meters above the shore.
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Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao officially closed the review without issuing any reprimands, describing the jet's noise as "the sound of Freedom."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported the decision, stating that such flyovers would continue until conditions were met and that morale had improved.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the decision on social media, posting an image of the low-flying jet and saying, "Carry on, patriots."
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The incident drew widespread reactions, including from Eric Trump, the US president's son, who defended the pilot's actions and accused critics of manufacturing outrage.
Eyewitness Ashley Korn, who has attended the airshow for 10 years, said the pass was unlike anything seen before, adding, "I literally thought we were going to be taken out by Blue Angels, but it was amazing."
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The case follows similar incidents where military pilots were reinstated after being suspended for low-altitude flights over crowds in South Carolina and Tennessee.
