Blue Angel crashes at Beaufort airshow

The tragic story as reported by the Charleston Post & Courier:

BEAUFORT— A Navy F-18 Blue Angel plane crashed this afternoon about
30 minutes into an air show at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the
Beaufort Gazette reported.

Witnesses said the planes were flying in
formation, and then one dropped down below the trees and apparently
crashed...

The Blue Angel clipped power lines near Shanklin Road in
Burton about 4 p.m. and went down about 30 minutes into the unit’s show at
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

Reports indicate that it was
Blue Angel No. 6 that went down and that plane No. 1 circled the Air Station,
possibly looking for the pilot. Later, officials at the crash site called for
the coroner.

This is very sad, and happens all too often, not only at American airshows, but overseas as well. I guess it is a fact of life for these modern "barnstormers". There's always a risk which the pilots seem more than willing to take.

Update: Link Charleston has an eyewitness report via audio.