Before Sunday’s Snowbirds jet crash in Kamloops, B.C., seven pilots and one passenger had been killed and several aircraft had been lost over the course of the squadron’s history.
A Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds jet has crashed in Kamloops, B.C., the latest incident involving Canada’s famed aerobatic team in less than a year.
Sunday’s crash occurred the same day the Snowbirds were scheduled to complete a flyover of the Okanagan as part of Operation Inspiration, a salute to Canadians and front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Video from the area appears to show at least one person ejecting from the plane before it disappears behind a stand of trees and an explosion is heard.
The Snowbirds have performed at air shows across Canada and the U.S. for decades and are considered a key tool for raising awareness about — and recruiting for — the air force. Eleven aircraft are used during shows, with nine flying and two kept as spares.
The air force obtained its Tutor jets in 1963 and has used them in air demonstrations since 1971. Before Sunday’s crash, seven pilots and one passenger had been killed and several aircraft had been lost over the course of the Snowbirds’ history.
Here is a timeline of crashes and other incidents involving the Snowbirds:
Oct. 13, 2019: Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier safely ejected from his plane just before an aerobatics show in the U.S. His jet crashed into an unpopulated area near Hampton, Ga. No one on the ground was injured.
Oct. 9, 2008: A Snowbird jet carrying pilot Capt. Bryan (Mav) Mitchell and the photographer Sgt. Charles (Chuck) Senecal crashes in a farmer’s field near 15 Wing Moose Jaw, an airbase in southwest Saskatchewan. Senecal was photographing three other planes flying in formation at the time of the crash. An Armed Forces report on the fatal crash said there were no mechanical pro