July 11, 1996
Web posted at: 5:15 p.m. EDT
PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) -- An Air Force F-16 fighter plane crashed in a residential area in northeastern Pensacola, Florida, Thursday afternoon, killing a 4-year-old boy.
Authorities said the pilot of the plane was able to eject safely.
Witnesses said the plane crashed into one house, slammed into a car, then hit another home. (WKRG reporter Jim Pennington - 141K AIFF or WAV sound)
The neighborhood was evacuated when a fire broke out after the crash, and electrical power was cut off to the area as a precaution, said reporter Jim Pennington from CNN affiliate WKRG. (140K AIFF or WAV sound)
The F-16 was flying from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina and was being relocated to Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach, Florida, because of the approach of hurricane Bertha.
A second jet, possibly a companion jet on a mission with the F-16, continued circling the crash site so rescuers could quickly find it, witnesses said. (WKRG reporter Jim Pennington - 172K AIFF or WAV sound)
Reported: 5/2/2001 09:57
Posted: 8/5/2001
Location: Pensacola (Beach), FL
Shape: Sphere
Duration:1 minutesBlue Angles interupted by UFO/F-16 Crashes in area same Day
Listeing to Peter on Jeff Rense, made me remember this sighting. To quickly summerize myself, at the time I was in college and was in the Marines. In the Marines my duties included calling Close Air Support and artillery as a "spotter". I have since been able to identify US and NATO aircraft by sight and sometimes sound. I can also identify some "Eastern Block" aircraft. (we had flash cards of aircraft in silloette). During the annual Blue Angels Show at Pensacola Beach, I wittnessed a Chrome Sphere hovering over the Santa Rosa Sound, (the body of water the separates Gulf breeze from Pensacola Beach). At the time I was working at the beach as a lifeguard so I had seen the Blue Angels show all week as they practiced. On the final show, (a Saturday), the sky was clear and the beach was crowded. I had "Dune Duty", which meant that I was to stand on a tall sand dune next to our "shack" in case I had to administer first aid to someone. Now, I'm faceing south, as is the airshow guests as the Blue Angels are flying over the Gulf of Mexico at Pensacola Beach. So keep in mind that people are not generally going to be looking behind them to Santa Rosa Sound to the North. Seeing the Angels all week made me notice that they were "off a bit' this day. Their Friday show was much cleaner than today. The Diamond formation looked sloppy and other details were picked up by me and the other guards. In the middle of the show the Angels anouncer stated that the show would be delayed because someone was in their airspace. I followed one of the jets with my eye as it broke from the diamond and he went out over "the sound". I was now faceing North. Then I saw a glint and it was a chrome sphere hovering over "the sound." The F-18 closed on it and came right at the sphere, in a blur the Sphere was gone. It seemed to "disapear", but I saw a blur above where it was and think that it must of climbed rapidly in the direction of the blur. Later that day on the evening news, a F-16 was reported to have crashed in a neighborhood in Pensacola. That Neighborhood where the crash occured is close to Escambia Bay. The only thing that separates Escambia Bay from Santa Rosa Sound, is a thin Penensula known as Gulf Breeze. I remember thinking that the F-16 crash, the UFO and the stoppage of the Blue Angels Show, were connected. (an airshow stoppage which I've never seen growing up in Pensacola and having seen the Angels several times). As far as I know I am the only witness. This sighting had the potential for 1000s of witnesses. But I have never heard anyone with a story like this. I may have been the only wittness. I don't have the exact date correct. But I know it was the Blue Angels show at pensacola beach in 1996.
((NUFORC Note: Date is approximate. We will attempt to confirm the date, which should not be too difficult, given that the date of Blue Angel performances is published. Also, the date of the F-16 crash should be easy to establish from newspaper records. If anyone can help with the exact date, we would be grateful. PD))
