Snowbirds cancel two shows, crash investigation continues

Snowbird Crash site near Thunder Bay, Ontario

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Canadian Forces Snowbirds have cancelled two of their upcoming shows while Flight Safety investigators continue to probe why one of the team’s CT-114 jets crashed earlier this week.

Performances scheduled for St. Catharines, Ont. on Aug. 27 and 28, and in Brantford Ont. on Aug. 31 are both cancelled, while the team’s Labour Day weekend performance at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto has yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Flight Safety team, led by Major Jim Armour, has scheduled a news conference for noon today (August 25) to meet with reporters in Thunder Bay to explain the methodology behind their investigations, and what can be expected from this particular of flight safety investigation. The Commanding Officer of the Snowbirds, Major Ian MacLean, was also scheduled to meet with reporters.

Major Armour, a highly experienced Flight Safety investigator, is leading a team of 10 experts composed of three aircraft accident investigators, a photographer, two escape system specialists, two human factors specialists, a flight surgeon and a CT-114 operations and maintenance subject matter expert. The Flight Safety Investigation Team arrived on the scene at about 12 p.m. Thursday, August 25 to commence its investigation.

Captain Andy Mackay, Snowbird 8, safely ejected from his CT-114 Tutor aircraft Wednesday, August 24 during the warm up phase prior to the Thunder in the Air Airshow in Thunder Bay, Ont.

By Holly Bridges