Wednesday, July 8, 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

DARPAN 10 with Baltej Singh Dhillon

RCMP Officer & Member of One Voice Canada Society

DARPAN 10 with Baltej Singh Dhillon

Facebook Takes Down Anti-Vaxxer Page That Used Falsified Image Of Girl Who Died

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The mother of a young Newfoundland girl says she's relieved a social media company has disabled a site that used images of her dead daughter to promote an anti-vaccination campaign.

Facebook Takes Down Anti-Vaxxer Page That Used Falsified Image Of Girl Who Died

Marie-Claude Bibeau Presses Chinese Counterpart On Canola Ban At G20 Ministers' Meeting

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says she used a G20 ministers' meeting in Japan to press her Chinese counterpart for the evidence behind Beijing's bans on Canadian canola.

Marie-Claude Bibeau Presses Chinese Counterpart On Canola Ban At G20 Ministers' Meeting

We're Done With Asking Nicely: B.C. To Hold Public Inquiry Into Money Laundering

Premier John Horgan says money laundering has had numerous impacts on people in the province including a rise in opioid deaths and higher housing costs.

We're Done With Asking Nicely: B.C. To Hold Public Inquiry Into Money Laundering

Health Authorities Say 66 Died In Montreal During Last Year's Heat Wave

Montreal health authorities now say 66 people died in the city during a heat wave between June 30 and July 8 last year.

Health Authorities Say 66 Died In Montreal During Last Year's Heat Wave

Vets Lobby To Expand Medical Cannabis Laws To Include Dogs, Cats

Parliament Hill is going to the dogs today as veterinarians lobby MPs to authorize the use of medical cannabis for critters.

Vets Lobby To Expand Medical Cannabis Laws To Include Dogs, Cats