Friday, June 19, 2026
ADVT 
National

Snowbird jets take off from B.C. after grounding

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Sep, 2020 10:18 PM
  • Snowbird jets take off from B.C. after grounding

A pair of Snowbird jets took off from Kamloops, B.C., Tuesday, more than three months after a fatal crash near the city's airport.

The jets were given approval last week to head to their home base in Moose Jaw, Sask., after being grounded because of the crash on May 17.

Capt. Jennifer Casey, the team's public affairs officer, was killed, while pilot Capt. Richard MacDougall was seriously hurt.

It's believed the plane went down shortly after hitting a bird while taking off from the airport, crashing in a Kamloops neighbourhood.

Lt.-Col. Denis Bandet, the Snowbirds' commanding officer, says the team intends to return to Kamloops next week to get the rest of the planes.

Bandet says the Snowbirds will be forever grateful to the residents of Kamloops for their support during a difficult time.

He says MacDougall is recovering from his injuries and getting the best care from the medical staff at 15 Wing in Moose Jaw.

When the Royal Canadian Air Force announced the Tutor jets were allowed back into the air on Aug. 24, it also said there would be new restrictions for the aerobatics team.

The crash in May was the second in less than eight months and came after another jet went down in Georgia last October. A report released in June said a parachute became tangled in the ejection seat, leaving the pilot with minor injuries.

Similar concerns were raised by investigators in the May crash, which remains under investigation.

Col. Ron Walker, commander of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, said last week that next season will look different for spectators, with new restrictions on the jets' minimum flying height and speed.

MORE National ARTICLES

Young Canadians Increasingly Bilingual, Especially In Quebec, New Brunswick

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada is reporting a jump in the number of bilingual Canadians.

Young Canadians Increasingly Bilingual, Especially In Quebec, New Brunswick

Men Accused In Via Rail Terror Plot Choose Retrial By Judge Alone

 Two men convicted of plotting to crash a Via Rail train have chosen to be tried by judge alone should their case not proceed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Men Accused In Via Rail Terror Plot Choose Retrial By Judge Alone

Green Economy Think Tank Gives Thumbs Up To Tree Planting Promise

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during the election campaign to spend $3 billion on land and water conservation projects between now and 2030. Among those projects will be planting two billion additional trees.    

Green Economy Think Tank Gives Thumbs Up To Tree Planting Promise

Provincial Finance Ministers Divided On Top Priority For Meeting With Morneau

Ministers from Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador declared the need to expand the fiscal stabilization program as their top priority in talks with the federal finance minister.

Provincial Finance Ministers Divided On Top Priority For Meeting With Morneau

Nova Scotia Withholds Approval, Seeks More Information On Pulp Mill Plan

Gordon Wilson says the province doesn't have enough information to determine if Northern Pulp's project will harm the environment, and the company can't move forward until it files a full environmental assessment report.

Nova Scotia Withholds Approval, Seeks More Information On Pulp Mill Plan

Dad Convicted Of Killing His Two Daughters Still Says He Didn't Do It: Lawyer

Andrew Berry was convicted in September by a jury on two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of four-year-old Aubrey Berry and six-year-old Chloe Berry.

Dad Convicted Of Killing His Two Daughters Still Says He Didn't Do It: Lawyer