Apache pilots' suspensions lifted after flyby over South Carolina beach
The decision to suspend the pilots quickly led to backlash online and drew the attention of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Updated on: July 10, 2026 / 10:22 AM EDT / CBS News
The suspensions of eight Apache helicopter pilots in the South Carolina Army National Guard who flew at a low altitude over a beach have been lifted, the Pentagon said Friday, after they were temporarily suspended pending review.
Video showed the helicopters flying low over a South Carolina beach as part of a July 4th "Salute from the Shore" flyover. The video shows beachgoers waving at and filming the helicopters.
It's not clear what led to the pilots' suspension. Congressman Russell Fry, a Republican from South Carolina, said on X on Thursday that the pilots had been suspended because of a "frivolous complaint," but did not offer any further details. The South Carolina Army National Guard said that it could not comment on specific allegations, "including questions regarding flight altitude or Federal Aviation Administration Regulations."
The South Carolina Army National Guard said on X on Thursday that the suspension was a "routine, non-punitive safety measure" and "not a disciplinary action." The soldiers "remain in good standing" and were still conducting non-flight duties, the national guard said.
The decision to suspend the pilots quickly led to backlash online. Fry wrote to Major General Robin B. Stillwell, the head of the South Carolina Army National Guard, to say that he believed the suspension was "misguided" and a "misuse of resources," according to a letter he shared on X . State Representative Tim McGinnis, a Republican from South Carolina, called the suspension "ridiculous" and said he had reached out to the South Carolina Army National Guard and the governor's office.