JAG Says 11 Homeowners Compensated For Damages So Far

Seven months have passed since a US Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 crashed during a performance at Marine Air Corps Station Beaufort, killing the pilot onboard... and officials are still working to determine what went wrong.

As ANN reported, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis (shown at right) was flying opposing solo in the #6 aircraft during the precision flight demonstration.

Video footage showed the aircraft descending while executed a tight left turn to form a Delta triangle, following a starburst maneuver. The aircraft continued its descent below a treeline, and impacted a neighborhood three miles from the field -- injuring at least eight on the ground.

An official report on the accident was expected in November, reports the Beaufort (SC) Gazette... but it has yet to be made public.

"Our goal is to do a thorough job of investigating all contributing factors to this incident so that we can make appropriate corrections while at the same time being responsive to all those who were affected by this tragedy," US Navy Vice Admiral J.C. Harvey, Jr. wrote in a September memo, saying the process couldn't be rushed.

Meanwhile, 11 persons whose homes were lost or destroyed when the F/A-18 impacted their neighborhood have been compensated by the Navy, according to Jennifer Zeldis, spokeswoman for the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy. Six more claims are pending, and four more are expected to be filed in the near future.

"While I understand the community's desire for resolution regarding this incident, I want everyone to understand the outcome and the timeline for completing this investigation in no way affects the claims process," Harvey wrote in the September memo.

FMI: www.navy.mil, www.blueangels.navy.mil