US Navy jets fly inches apart at 360mph days before colliding during same move

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels squad has shared incredible cockpit footage of them performing at 360mph just days before two planes collided practicing the same manoeuvre.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jess Gray captured headcam video of the planes performing a Diamond 360 as they flew over Lake Washington at the Boeing Seafair Air Show in Seattle.

The Blue Angels can be seen flying within inches of each other as their planes judder in the wind.

Blue Angels jet No. 1 leads the pack of four as they fly closely in a diamond shape above the water while turning in perfect formation.

The footage was shot during their daring performance at the show on August 3, but shared yesterday on their YouTube channel.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jess Gray captured headcam video of the planes performing a Diamond 360 (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 2nd Class Jess Gray)

The Blue Angels performing a Diamond 360 at a previous show (Department of Defense (DoD))

Days after that performance two jets touched while training at their home base for last weekend's Chicago Air and Water Show.

A spokeswoman for the Chief of Naval Air Training - the team's parent command - Lietentant Michelle Tucker, confirmed Jets 1 and 3 touched on August 14 during practice at Naval Air Station Pensacola, in Florida.

She told the Pensacola News Journal   "They fly very, very close together - No. 3 did make contact of the underside of No. 1's wing with his [glass cockpit] canopy."

The pilots broke out of formation and landed immediately after the incident.

The footage was shot during their daring performance at the show on August 3, but shared yesterday on their YouTube channel (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 2nd Class Jess Gray)

Blue Angels' commanding officer Captain Eric Doyle, pictured right, was flying Jet 1 when it crashed (U.S. Navy Blue Angels)

Blue Angels' commanding officer Captain Eric Doyle, who was flying Jet 1, and Lieutenant James Cox, who was flying Jet 3, were not injured in the collision.

Lt Tucker said that in an initial inspection of the F/A-18 Super Hornet jets they found no damage other than a scratch.

"The team trains diligently to operate in the safest possible manner," Tucker said, "and they select only the best naval aviators and support personnel to fill their ranks."

Blue Angels jet No. 1 leads the pack of four as they fly closely in a diamond shape above the water while turning in perfect formation (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 2nd Class Jess Gray)

Days after the performance two jets touched while training at their home base for last weekend's Chicago Air and Water Show (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 2nd Class Jess Gray)

The pilots were given replacement jets and performed in front of millions at the Chicago show alongside the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, and the U.S. Army Golden Knights.

Every year fleets of jets and other military aircrafts boom through the sky for Chicago’s Air and Water Show.

It takes place on North Avenue Beach but the air tricks and parachuters can be seen all along Lake Michigan.

The Blue Angels have been performing since 1946, and taken part in aerial displays every year in at least 60 shows in 30 locations in the US.