Thunderbirds cancel air show after midair mishap

CHICAGO -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds canceled an aerial performance Sunday because of safety concerns following a midair accident at the Chicago Air and Water Show that sent an object on one of the group's F-16s plummeting into Lake Michigan.

The aerial acrobatic team cut short their performance Saturday when two of the jets made contact while they were flying in formation and a missile rail was dislodged. On Sunday, the team announced that it would not perform again until an investigation into the incident could be completed.

Police marine units searched for the object but were unable to locate it.

The last time contact was reported between Thunderbirds jets was in 1999 during a takeoff at Patrick Air Force Base in Fla., Johnson said.

The group, headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., performs at approximately 70 air shows a year, according to their Web site. The aerial demonstration team flies the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, a maneuverable fighter aircraft.

About 2 million people were expected to attend the two-day air and water show on the city's lakefront.

(On the Net: www.airforce.com/thunderbirds )