Posted on 08/24/2005 6:52:53 PM PDT by NorthOf45
Snowbird jet crashes in Ont.
Canadian Press
August 24, 2005
THUNDER BAY, Ont. (CP) -- A jet from the storied Snowbirds aerobatics squadron fell from the sky Wednesday while making its way to an air show in this northern Ontario city, crashing in a rural field just seconds after its pilot ejected safely.
The Department of National Defence said Capt. Andy Mackay, Snowbird 8, was treated in hospital for undisclosed injuries and released.
"Our main focus at the moment is Capt. Andy Mackay's well-being," said Maj. Ian McLean, commanding officer of Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
Witness accounts of the crash suggest the plane plummeted suddenly.
"I saw one of the planes immediately turn towards the ground and go at a very high speed directly at the ground and disappear," witness Scott Dougall told CKPR radio in Thunder Bay.
"After that I saw a puff of smoke come up from the ground, and I also saw a parachute at about 5,000, 6,000 feet in the air. It looked like somebody had ejected and the plane crashed into the ground."
An organizer for the air show, called Thunder in the Air, said the plane crashed just before the show was to start at 5:30 p.m. ET. The event was cancelled just 10 minutes later when it was announced that a plane had crashed.
Local resident Dennis Trevisanutto Jr., who was standing on the deck of his home when he saw the crash, said he rescued the pilot after he saw the parachute descending.
"I was standing on the deck and I saw the plane going over and we heard ... a loud explosion," he told Thunder Bay radio station CJUK.
"And I looked out and I could see him parachuting down into the woods. So I thought I'd take a ride over there and see if I could find him or pick him up.... (I) ended up wandering around in the bush there and I spotted him, and he seemed to be OK."
"When I first saw him I asked if he was OK, and he said yes and said his engines failed."
Trevisanutto drove Mackay, 39, of Orleans, Ont., to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
The air show had been scheduled to take place at Marina Park, by the city's downtown harbour on the northern shore of Lake Superior.
A concert that had been scheduled to follow the event went on as planned.
The Snowbirds are next scheduled to perform in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday and Sunday, but it was not immediately known if the shows would be cancelled.
They are also slated to fly at the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto on Labour Day weekend.
The accident is certain to prompt renewed concerns about both the safety and the value of the internationally renowned Snowbirds, who are marking their 35th anniversary this year.
Defence Minister Bill Graham wouldn't say whether Wednesday's crash will endanger the future of program.
"Until we know exactly what happened, it's very difficult to evaluate the risk factors that was in there," he said from Ottawa.
"It's too early to give the cause. We're still trying to ascertain that."
The jets the Snowbirds fly, Canadair CT-114 Tutors, are more than 30 years old. The last one came off the assembly line in 1966 -- before most of the pilots were born.
However, the pilots have defended the program, saying the aircraft are safe and the shows they put on are part of the Canadian cultural fabric.
The last time there was a crash during an air show in Canada was on July 10 in Moose Jaw, Sask., when two American stunt pilots died after their biplanes collided before 20,000 horrified spectators.
The last crash of a Snowbird occurred on Dec. 10, 2004, when Capt. Miles Selby died in a fiery collision with colleague Capt. Chuck Mallet during a training session just south of their Moose Jaw home base. Mallet survived the accident.
The team is comprised of Canadian Forces pilots.
Snowbird Ping
Glad no one was hurt, now for the hack....was that half of your air force? (you just want to smack me).
Yes, they need some F-16's instead of those toys they are forced to fly.
Can't you guys use F18's. I know you used to use them, I have a special model painted up for a given Canadian Air Wing, unit escapes me at the moment. I downloaded to fly in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002. It was mostly maroon red, with some orange and yellows in the tail etc..
Operating costs for the Tudor are a lot lower than for the Hornet.
No. Found a readme file on the model I fly. The top part of body is a deep red, the belly and half up the sides is a light grey. The tail has a gold head of a mountain lion with mouth wide open.
McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing CF-18/A Hornet
(4 Wing) 410 Squadron 'Cougars' 50th Anniversary Hornet
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Air Demonstration Aircraft
CAF #188749
Ping
"Operating costs for the Tudor are a lot lower than for the Hornet."
Understand, but hell imagine the extra heart throb when they go vertical pushing the throttle completely forward! Then again perhaps the thrust/weight ratio on the Tudor's allow for dramatic enough displays! Come to think of it I may have downloaded a Tudor. I have so many aircraft original and modified I seldom fly most of them anymore. To many different cockpit schemes to have to get re-familiarized with. So I just fly F18/F16/occasional F15 and some Boeing commerical aircraft and perhaps a Beech Craft Barron etc..
Tutor
If you took the verticle strips out and changed the red to more of a maroon (deeper less flashy red), and a little different Cougar head on tail where it was all solid gold yea.
It looks close. Of course the modeler may have not did a exact replica of the paint job, so perhaps this is the one.
"Tutor"
Roger that. Am looking at a picture of the Snowbird birds right now.
I have always seen it as "Tudor" but a google search turns up plenty of each.
I thought this was about a plane full of old people headed to Arizona. My apologies!
I saw the Snowbirds perform at the 2004 air show in Ft. Lauderdale. They're absolutely amazing and put on a great show. Canada should be proud.
"I have always seen it as "Tudor" but a google search turns up plenty of each."
Thats what I thought to but as you indicated a google search on Tutor also shows the Snowbird team pictures.
Heart throbs don't count for much for a country with a very small defense budget.
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