Thunderbirds cancel two appearances

Friday, Sept. 26, 2003 | 10:52 a.m.

The Thunderbirds have canceled two more demonstrations, and the participation of the Air Force demonstration team in November's air show at Nellis Air Force Base remains in doubt.

A Janesville, Wis., show scheduled for this weekend and an Oct. 1 show in Tucumcari, N.M., are the latest appearances to be canceled because of the crash of one of the Thunderbirds' F-16s at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sept. 14.

The pilot of the F-16 that crashed ejected safely, but the cause of that crash remains under investigation, said Lt. Col. Richard McSpadden Jr., the commander of the Thunderbirds.

"We are very optimistic that we will resume our 50th anniversary season soon," McSpadden said. "It is not uncommon for any Air Force unit to take a step back after an incident such as this to ensure we have time to fully address the issues surrounding the accident.

"Safety is always our No. 1 concern, and we are committed to continuing the season as soon as possible."

A decision has not been made on the rest of the team's schedule including Nelllis' Aviation Nation show Nov. 15-16.