The Pentagon has lifted the flight suspensions of eight South Carolina Army National Guard pilots who took part in a July 4, 2026, Apache helicopter flyby along the state’s coastline.
“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a July 10 post on X. “Carry on Patriots.”
The pilots flew four AH-64E Apache attack helicopters during Salute from the Shore, an annual Independence Day event involving military and civilian aircraft flying along South Carolina’s coast.
The South Carolina National Guard temporarily removed the pilots from flight duties after reviewing video and photographs from the display. The Guard said the move was a routine, non-punitive safety measure rather than disciplinary action.
The pilots continued performing their regular duties while they were barred from flying.
Video recorded from the beach showed the four Apaches passing just offshore in formation. In one of the clips, the lead helicopter made a pronounced bank near the shoreline, while the aircraft behind it turned more gradually.
The footage did not establish the helicopters’ altitude or show whether the crews departed from the route and flight profile approved for the event, but they did not appear to be dangerously low.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth became involved on July 9 after elected officials in South Carolina criticized the suspensions.
“We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots,” Hegseth wrote on X.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said the pilots were experienced military aviators capable of safely navigating the coastline. Representative Russell Fry, whose district includes the Myrtle Beach area, said the crews should be celebrated rather than sanctioned.
The South Carolina National Guard confirmed after Parnell’s announcement that the eight pilots had returned to flying duties. It did not immediately say whether its review of the flyby had ended.
The Apache formation came from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, based at McEntire Joint National Guard Base.
The helicopters joined Salute from the Shore for the first time in 2026. The display also included F-16 fighters from the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing, a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and privately owned vintage aircraft.
Salute from the Shore began in 2010 and follows approximately 187 miles of coastline from the North Myrtle Beach area toward Beaufort. Thousands of people gather on the beaches each July 4 to watch the aircraft pass overhead.