Smyrna residents pay tribute to fallen Durango jet pilot

Tributes continue to pour in for the Durango native killed in a Blue Angels’ jet crash on Thursday.

The latest tributes to Captain Jeff Kuss came in Smyrna, TN where the accident happened.

Residents came out on Saturday morning to watch the Blue Angels depart. They came with six jets, but left with five.

The town is flying its flags at half-staff, and at a downtown gathering Saturday, many in Smyrna hailed Captain Kuss as a hero.

It’s widely believed that Captain Kuss stayed with his airplane until the last second, opting to stay at the controls rather than eject, avoiding a heavily populated neighborhood in the process.

It was Kuss’ second year as a demonstration pilot and first year with the Blue Angels team.

On Friday, the Great Tennessee Air Show co-producers, the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority and The Air Show Network, announced that they’ll donate a portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales to a Go-Fund me account dedicated to Captain Kuss’ family.

This weekend’s air show, which did go on Saturday without the Blue Angels, was dedicated to Kuss.

The remaining Blue Angel planes have returned to their home airbase in Pensacola, FL.