The Day a Blue Angel Phantom Took Out Downtown
"On Thursday afternoon and evening, thousands of eyes will move skyward, to watch one of the most spectacular aerobatic teams in the world. The famous United States Blue Angels will fly for Okanagan residents and visitors during the 63rd edition of Canada's greatest water show. The Blue Angels, officially known as the U.S. navy flight demonstration team, have for 23 years thrilled millions of spectators with spectacular demonstrations of precision acrobatic and formation flying. The manoeuvres, taught individually to every naval aviator during flight training, are exhibited to perfection when flown by the Blue Angels in their Mach 2 Phantoms." - August 6, 1969 - The Kelowna Daily Courier
During a pre air show practice on the morning of the 7th of August; Capt. Vince D. Donile flying Right Wing #2 in his F-4J Phantom was setting up inbound for the Four Plane Cross maneuver, when he noticed he had fallen behind in positioning. Compensating for his tardiness, Capt. Donile elected to light up his over 36,000 pounds of thrust with afterburners, quickly accelerating towards the crossing point at show centre.
Unfortunately Capt Donile was only moments too late when he deselected his burners, and his USN F-4 Phantom announced his error to the world as it shattered the morning air with a deafening sonic boom. Even more unfortunate, was the fact that Capt Donile exceeded the speed of sound directly over the downtown core of Kelowna BC. The shock wave produced by the supersonic jet blew out thousands of windows on homes and shop windows in a radius of the downtown area. Hundreds of Canadian residents gathered to survey the damage. Many arming themselves with the first thing they had available to clean up the shattered glass...snow shovels.
The United States Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron first flew in 1946, and have been seen by well over 260 million people since their first airshow. The Blue Angels have demonstrated an immpresively high safety record of operations...and although breaking the sound barrier is an effective way to announce an airshow, this was a one time occurrence for the Blues. One that is not likely to be repeated.
Sure does make for a good story though...
UPDATE - December 2018
We were contacted by USN Captain Vincent Donile USN Blue Angels #2 who gave us a first hand account, and corrected us on some missing aspects of the story.
When I first arrived in Danang I had some time to spare until my flight north. I watched the F4’s taking off and felt chills all the way down to my toes. What a sight, what a sound!
I was at the DuPage County, Illinois airshow the day the Thunderbirds lite a corn field on fire.
As soon as I read the headline, I immediately thought “Kelowna!”
I vaguely recall seeing the aftermath, with many of the windows boarded up the following day.
My grandmother lived in Kelowna, and we used to come visit for a week or so every summer.
In 1969 I would have been 8 years old at the time, so it’s all a bit sketchy memories.
But as mentioned, I do still remember the windows of businesses downtown boarded up with plywood. And someone saying that the crowds were focusing on the planes, and only realized the windows were all broken after the planes had passed overhead.
Although I flew some 6500 hours in the USAF, my final flight was in the back seat of a 4 ship flight, POW/MIA Recognition Day over Clark AB, Philippines, 1985. I had finished my “flying career” and gone on to other commands after flying on the edge of space (70,000 feet for 3 1/2 years in the WB-57F “Longwing,” 3 combat flying tours in Vietnam War, and so many great flying assignments. My friend, the F-4 Wing Commander gave me a final flight. In that flight were 7 full colonels and one Lt. Colonel. We went out to the range for a bit, got a good flight about the area as we waited for the time to make a pass over the big parade ground at Clark. Coming over exactly on time, Ship #3 pulled up in the missing man formation, and I was able to see that as I was in the back of #4. WOW! My son was on the ground with a camera, caught the 4 ship in a perfect picture then the 3 remaining planes passing on in the formation salute. That was my only flight in the F-4, but I got a great picture in my flight suit as a bird colonel, wearing the G-suit. The barf bag doesn’t show in my leg pocket, haha, but I do look cool. The only thing they taught me about the F-4 was how to bail out if necessary,
Colonel Curtis D. Dale, PhD, USAF (Ret)
I was 5 years old at the time. Living an hour’s drive awaay from Kelowna, I didn’t get to hear the sonic boom of course, but my grandparents sure did! They lived just a bit outside of downtown Kelowna and so escaped the damage but certainly had their house rattled! That story got told a lot in our family. I did get to see the actual show on the weekend from their house. The F4 thunder certainly impressed my 5 year self and I’ve been to many airshows since. Thanks for the trip down memory airway.
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