Navy Cmdr. Dave Koss was voluntarily relieved of duty Friday as the commanding officer of the Blue Angels following a "lower-than-normal maneuver" performed at an airshow Sunday in Lynchburg, Va.
"With deep personal regret I shared with my command today that I will be voluntarily leaving the greatest flight demonstration team," Koss said in a Navy news release. "I performed a maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude.
"This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down."
He will be replaced by Navy Capt. Greg McWherter, who commanded the team before Koss took over in November 2010.
Koss, an Orange Park native and 20-year F/A-18 pilot, grounded the unit following Sunday's incident in Lynchburg in which four of the team's Hornets flying in a diamond formation completed a maneuver too low to the ground.
Following a debriefing after the Sunday show, Koss and the team returned to Pensacola Naval Air Station and Koss implemented a safety stand-down.
The Blues subsequently scrapped a practice session and an air show planned for Tuesday and Wednesday in Annapolis, Md. On Thursday, the team announced it was canceling appearances at Friday's Naval Academy graduation and at an air show in Millville, N.J., this weekend.
The relief of Koss means the Blues will also have to cancel their air shows at the Rockford Airfest in Illinois on June 4-5 and at the Evansville Freedom Festival Air Show in Indiana on June 11-12. The announcement said any other potential changes will be announced at a later date.
Koss was relieved by Rear Adm. Bill Sizemore, chief of Naval Air Training Command, according to a statement from Naval Air Forces.
A 1991 Naval Academy graduate, Koss has amassed more than 3,000 flight hours and 740 arrested landings on carriers. He has garnered two awards for leadership during his career.
The Blues' commanding officer — called "Boss" — is assigned to the No. 1 jet; the team has seven jets, and six typically take part in the demonstration while the seventh, a two-seater, is a backup and is used to fly civilian guests prior to the shows.
Longtime Blues fan Russ Fuller, 44, of Milton, who has only missed two area Blues performances since 1992, said he admired Koss for stepping down if he feels responsible.
"But I hate to see the team take a step back," Fuller said.
Said fan Laura Boyd, 33: "Safety is the most important thing. If he feels that's what's best for everyone, then it's the right thing to do. You don't want to risk lives for entertainment."
"With deep personal regret I shared with my command today that I will be voluntarily leaving the greatest flight demonstration team," Koss said in a Navy news release. "I performed a maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude.
"This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down."
He will be replaced by Navy Capt. Greg McWherter, who commanded the team before Koss took over in November 2010.
Koss, an Orange Park native and 20-year F/A-18 pilot, grounded the unit following Sunday's incident in Lynchburg in which four of the team's Hornets flying in a diamond formation completed a maneuver too low to the ground.
Following a debriefing after the Sunday show, Koss and the team returned to Pensacola Naval Air Station and Koss implemented a safety stand-down.
The Blues subsequently scrapped a practice session and an air show planned for Tuesday and Wednesday in Annapolis, Md. On Thursday, the team announced it was canceling appearances at Friday's Naval Academy graduation and at an air show in Millville, N.J., this weekend.
The relief of Koss means the Blues will also have to cancel their air shows at the Rockford Airfest in Illinois on June 4-5 and at the Evansville Freedom Festival Air Show in Indiana on June 11-12. The announcement said any other potential changes will be announced at a later date.
Koss was relieved by Rear Adm. Bill Sizemore, chief of Naval Air Training Command, according to a statement from Naval Air Forces.
A 1991 Naval Academy graduate, Koss has amassed more than 3,000 flight hours and 740 arrested landings on carriers. He has garnered two awards for leadership during his career.
Longtime Blues fan Russ Fuller, 44, of Milton, who has only missed two area Blues performances since 1992, said he admired Koss for stepping down if he feels responsible.
"But I hate to see the team take a step back," Fuller said.
Said fan Laura Boyd, 33: "Safety is the most important thing. If he feels that's what's best for everyone, then it's the right thing to do. You don't want to risk lives for entertainment."