Suspension lifted for Apache helicopter pilots who flew over beaches on July 4

State Watch Suspension lifted for Apache helicopter pilots who flew over beaches on July 4 Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/10/26 9:17 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/10/26 9:17 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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The flight suspensions for eight Apache helicopter pilots involved in a Fourth of July flyover in South Carolina have been lifted amid pressure from Republicans and the public, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday morning.

“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted. Carry on Patriots,” Parnell wrote in a post on the social platform X.

The pilots were suspended on Saturday over their involvement in a flyover along several beaches in South Carolina as part of the state’s annual Independence Day celebrations. Video of the performance shows four Apache helicopters flying close along the shore as people stood on the beach and swam in the water below.

The suspensions only applied to their flight duties and were considered a “routine” action during a pending investigation, Maj. Lisa Allen, a public affairs officer with the South Carolina National Guard, told local station ABC 15 earlier this week.

“We sincerely appreciate the strong community support for our service members and the enthusiasm surrounding the ‘Salute from the Shore’ event,” Allen said in a second statement released to local outlet WBTW on Thursday evening.

“We are also aware of the public feedback and concerns regarding the temporary suspension of the Apache pilots involved,” she continued. “We want to assure the community that a temporary suspension from flight duties is a routine administrative measure whenever a flight profile is under review.”

South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry (R) called on the state’s National Guard on Thursday to lift the suspensions, saying they stemmed from “a frivolous complaint” in a letter to the guard’s top general.

“By all accounts, the flyover was conducted safely and professionally, with no injuries or property damage reported,” Fry wrote in his letter, which he shared on social media.

He thanked Parnell and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday morning for “handling this promptly.”

“These pilots are our nation’s HEROES, and South Carolinians want them treated as such,” the GOP lawmaker wrote on X.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) similarly celebrated the lift of the suspensions in a Friday statement shared on social media.

“The men and women who pilot the world’s most sophisticated aircraft are trusted to do so around the globe; in times of imminent danger and peril,” McMaster wrote. “Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary.”