President Obama met with the pilot of a Thunderbirds fighter jet that crashed earlier in the day after a flyover at the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony, where Obama served as the keynote speaker.
The pilot, Maj. Alex Turner, safely ejected and the jet landed in a nearby field, seemingly intact.
Before heading back to Washington, Obama visited briefly with Turner, thanking him for his service to the country and expressing relief that he wasn’t seriously injured, the White House said in a statement.
“He also thanked the first responders who acted quickly to tend to the pilot,” the White House said.
The president, on his way back Air Force One at Peterson Air Force Base, stopped his motorcade to shake hands with Turner moments before boarding the plane.
The Air Force Academy told the Colorado Springs Gazette that the plane suffered engine failure before the crash. The official cause of the failure is under investigation, the paper said.
The same afternoon in Smyrna, Tenn., a U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet crashed after takeoff during a practice flight, the Navy said.
The Tennessean, citing a county fire dispatcher, reported that one person died in the crash. The identity of the pilot or injury information was not immediately available.
