NEWS 3 has confirmed a Blue Angel aircraft has gone down somewhere near Pine Grove Road in Beaufort. NEWS 3 has crews on the scene and we'll have the latest tonight at 6 and 11.

WASHINGTON - A jet fighter flown by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration team crashed Saturday during an airshow in South Carolina and a number of houses were on fire, according to media reports.

Witness Scott Houston told CNN in a telephone interview that he saw six Blue Angels jets flying low behind a grove of trees at the end of an airshow in Beaufort, S.C., and only five emerged.

A cloud of smoke was seen rising from the area...

A Blue Angel crashed Saturday afternoon while performing at an air show at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

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

Authorities say the pilot, still not identified, was killed in the crash.

It was not immediately known whether anyone else was hurt in the crash.

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.

There is debris and fire near the scene, but it is unclear if houses are on fire.

A Blue Angel crashed Saturday afternoon while performing at an air show at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

Authorities say the pilot, still not identified, was killed in the crash. It appears that the plane struck a tall pine tree and traveled another block before crashing near Pine Grove subdivision, a heavily populated area. Parts of the plane hit several houses.

It was not immediately known whether anyone else was hurt in the crash, though witnesses said they saw shrapnel on the ground and at least one home on fire.

Reports indicate that it was Blue Angel No. 6 that crashed. It’s unclear who was piloting that F/A-18.

Emergency crews at the scene of the crash site called for the coroner about 4:20 p.m., indicating that the pilot was killed in the crash.

The Blue Angel crashed about 30 minutes into the unit’s show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

Jason Keith, of Yemassee, said he was driving west on Laurel Bay Road when he saw the plane crash behind the Food Lion grocery story, which is south of the road.

“Something caught my eye, and all of a sudden I saw a huge black explosion,” he said. “The plane went down, and we watched it for awhile and I didn’t see any parachute or anything. If he had been 400 yards to his right he would have plowed into the road. The other guys were just flying along.”

Keith said he saw a home catch fire.

Tim Stamps, 18, said he was walking down the road, coming back from Food Lion, when he saw the plane circling in the air and smoking.

He also saw the left side of a house covered in shrapnel and the windows are busted out.

LCDR Kevin J. Davis, United States Navy, Opposing Solo:

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis is a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1992 where he played football and was active with the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science with honors in 1996.

Kevin reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for Officer Candidate School and aviation indoctrination in September 1996. He completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi, for intermediate and advanced flight training. While there, he flew the T-2C Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawk, and received his wings of gold in June 1999.

Kevin reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for training in the F-14 Tomcat and was the ‚ "Top Stick‚" in his class. In July 2000 he reported to the VF-11 ‚ "Red Rippers‚" where he completed deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). While with the ‚ "Red Rippers'" Kevin served as the airframes/corrosion branch officer, air-to-ground training officer and head landing signals officer. His deployments included extended operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In July 2003, Kevin transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet through Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) at NAS Lemoore, California, and then reported to the Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC-12) ‚ "Omars," stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia. While at VFC-12, Kevin served as a Navy adversary pilot providing valuable air-to-air training for fleet squadrons. In December of 2004, Kevin graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as an adversary pilot. During his tour at VFC-12, Kevin worked as the schedules officer, legal officer, FRS/SFARP officer and assistant operations officer.

Kevin joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 200 carrier arrested landings. His decorations include the Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.

BOSTON - Even as a young boy, Navy Blue Angels Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis was intrigued by speed.

"He was fascinated with airplanes from the time he was little," former neighbor Betty Sweeney said. "He knew what he wanted to do, and he did it. That's the only relief, that he went doing what he wanted to do."

The 32-year-old Navy lieutenant commander was killed Saturday when the F/A-18 Hornet jet he piloted as a member of the Blue Angeles team crashed during an air show in a residential area of Beaufort, S.C.

He joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. A Navy statement said the pilot had been on the team for two years — and this was his first year as a demonstration pilot.

Another former neighbor, Tom McGill, taught at Taconic High School, where Davis' father, John, was principal. McGill said John Davis and his wife, Ann, who now live in Aiken, S.C., were in the crowd at the air show Saturday.

Sweeney had not seen Davis for several years, but remembered him as a small boy in their western Massachusetts town of Pittsfield.

"My son, David, had a motorcycle, and he (Davis) was so interested in that when he was a kid. He used to call my son 'Motorcycle Dave,'" she said.

Peggy Gleason recalled that Davis appeared at her door each weekday morning to walk her daughter, Kristen, to the neighborhood elementary school they attended together.

"He was this cute little kid who used to show up at the door. He always had a smile on his face. And he was just as handsome as he was nice," Gleason said.

She said Kristen happened to be home with her parents when news of the Blue Angels crash was broadcast on television.

"She was devastated. She's taking it very hard," Gleason said.

Kevin Davis, who was single, was the youngest of three sons, McGill said. The oldest, Christian, is a Navy supply officer, and middle brother Phil is a teacher in China.

"Kevin was a highly motivated young man. He loved planes. He was a good student and a very conscientious young man," McGill said...