Snowbird down

[WLJ]

It would appear the plane caught fire after takeoff from a witness in the BBC report

Witness Annette Schonewille told CBC News: "The one plane continued and the other one, there was two puffs, it looked like puffs of smoke and one... was a ball of fire," she said.

"No noise, it was strange, and then the plane just did a cartwheel and fell right out of the sky. Just boom, straight down, and then a burst of black, black smoke."

One dead after Canadian Snowbirds jet crashes into home
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52701421

Update – Canadian Forces member killed, another injured after a Snowbird plane crashes into Kamloops house
https://www.radionl.com/2020/05/17/reports-of-a-plane-down-over-brock/

No word yet if Trudeau is going to ban assault planes

[WLJ]

    The RCAF has suffered another tragic loss of a dedicated member of the RCAF team. We are deeply saddened and grieve alongside Jenn’s family and friends. Our thoughts are also with the loved ones of Captain MacDougall. We hope for a swift recovery from his injuries. – Comd RCAF pic.twitter.com/UZKJa6OT3S

    — CF Snowbirds (@CFSnowbirds) May 18, 2020

    A Nova Scotian storyteller, she was a journalist before joining as a Public Affairs Officer.

    Across Canada and the United States, she brought stories and smiles.
    She was one of us, our sister.

    Captain Jenn Casey died today.

    Please say her name.
    Remember Jenn.

    -30- pic.twitter.com/irCwKc5ThY

    — Canadian Forces in 🇺🇸 (@CAFinUS) May 18, 2020

[RoadKingLarry]

Will Canada count this as a Covid-19 death?

[WLJ]

Video and photos of the incident plus some details of the team, plane, and the ejection system.
It would appear the fire/smoke reported by a witness in the BBC report was from the ejection.

Snowbirds CL41 Tutor Crash 17 May 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Og_7sqU7s

[French G.]

This is what I worried about when we started those stupid flyovers. Unnecessary combination of combat aircraft and densely populated areas. Never a big fan of air shows, too much risk, no reward. As for this one my bet is engine ate a bird and then spontaneously disassembled.

[MechAg94]

I had questions.  The video gives a little more information about what kind of jets these were and the ejection.  Sounds like they hit the ground hard even with ejection. 

[makattak]

I hate to see the death of a pilot, but I'm also relieved no one in the house was hurt.

[Hawkmoon]

The Snowbirds aerobatics team was scheduled to leave Kamloops at 10 a.m. and head to Kelowna via Merritt, Princeton, and Vernon today. The Operation Inspiration tour started in Nova Scotia earlier this month and was aimed at boosting morale as Canadians continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

I don't understand how sending a bunch of highly-paid adults out to play in public with toys the average person can't afford is in any way a morale booster to people who can't work because their employers' businesses have been shut down.

[BobR]

I had questions.  The video gives a little more information about what kind of jets these were and the ejection.  Sounds like they hit the ground hard even with ejection. 

I was wondering about the ejection seat envelope and the video answered that. From the looks of the video they were in a bad attitude when they initiated the ejection sequence and it kind of shot them into the ground with no chute deployment. As an older trainer type of plane I didn't think they had zero/zero seats but you never know.

bob

[Fly320s]

This is what I worried about when we started those stupid flyovers. Unnecessary combination of combat aircraft and densely populated areas. Never a big fan of air shows, too much risk, no reward.

The Snowbirds do not fly combat aircraft.  They fly old, slow trainers.  I know you were referencing the US flyovers, though.

"John Cuday, president of the Virginia-based International Council of Air Shows, contends air shows are safe for spectators. No spectator at an airshow – which has different rules than air races -- has been killed since the 1950s because of safety measures in place, he said."  https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/how-safe-are-air-shows-here-how-many-crashes-occurred-past-decade/BUvmdtqlXZXAUYumQvpzSP/

Safer than racing cars.  https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article9152399.html

As for this one my bet is engine ate a bird and then spontaneously disassembled.

You might have this piece right.

[Fly320s]

I was wondering about the ejection seat envelope and the video answered that. From the looks of the video they were in a bad attitude when they initiated the ejection sequence and it kind of shot them into the ground with no chute deployment. As an older trainer type of plane I didn't think they had zero/zero seats but you never know.

bob

Plane was upright when they ejected.  Not sure why they rolled it before that.  Maybe trying to point it into a field.

[WLJ]

  Not sure why they rolled it before that.  Maybe trying to point it into a field.

Think they tip stalled

[230RN]

...

[BobR]

Plane was upright when they ejected.  Not sure why they rolled it before that.  Maybe trying to point it into a field.

From what I saw in the video they were upright (possibly > 60 degrees nose down) and the smoke trails from the seat motors were going down at about a 45 degree angle. With the 60/60 seats there may not have been time for a full chute deployment before hitting the ground.. It will make the news when the CAF finishes their investigation. I think the bottom line (or major contributing factor) for the fatality of one and injuries to the other will be ejecting outside the seat envelope. Seldom does an ejection result in a fatality if done inside the seat envelope.

bob

[Perd Hapley]

May Captain Casey rest in peace.

Tragic, but the reporting was a bit annoying in this sense:

It sure would have been nice to find out what a Snowbird was before getting halfway through the RADIO NL  article.  I suspected some kind of aero team (perhaps an elite military team, for example), but no confirmation unil then.

At first glance at the topic heading ("Snowbird down"), I thought it was the NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research --U.S.) weather plane...

Sounds more like a joint New York/Florida civil air corps project.

[WLJ]

May Captain MacDougall rest in peace.

Captain Jenn Casey is the deceased
MacDougall was injured

[230RN]

^^  Actually, fistful, that was my second guess.  I was just being crabby about the assumption being, "just everybody knows what a Canadian Snowbird is."

My third guess had something to do with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police foot-racing in snowshoes.

I'm just full of irks this morning, is all.  

Who, What, When, Where, and How.

Terry, 230RN

[Perd Hapley]

Captain Jenn Casey is the deceased
MacDougall was injured

Doh!

[Fly320s]

Seldom does an ejection result in a fatality if done inside the seat envelope.

My father-in-law can attest to that.  He has ejected.  Twice.

[French G.]

The Snowbirds do not fly combat aircraft.  They fly old, slow trainers.  I know you were referencing the US flyovers, though.

"John Cuday, president of the Virginia-based International Council of Air Shows, contends air shows are safe for spectators. No spectator at an airshow – which has different rules than air races -- has been killed since the 1950s because of safety measures in place, he said."  https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/how-safe-are-air-shows-here-how-many-crashes-occurred-past-decade/BUvmdtqlXZXAUYumQvpzSP/

Safer than racing cars.  https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article9152399.html
You might have this piece right.

I am aware of our air show record. I also think of the aircrew and of foreign shows. Working in the F-18 community you become aware that the sketchiest maintenance title belongs to the Blues. I know when an Oceana jet went splat on an apartment I was so happy that I read it was a two seater since at the time we only had single seats so I knew it wasn’t something I touched. It’s a terrible feeling. To my knowledge I never worked on a mishap bird.

[MechAg94]

On another note, I was not familiar with the Snowbirds.  I have heard snowbird used to decribe people from up North traveling down to their Winter homes further South. 

[Angel Eyes]

Saw the Snowbirds perform at the Reno air races back in the late '70s.  An impressive aerobatic team.

Condolences to Captain Casey and her family.

[230RN]

Video and photos of the incident plus some details of the team, plane, and the ejection system.
It would appear the fire/smoke reported by a witness in the BBC report was from the ejection.

Snowbirds CL41 Tutor Crash 17 May 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Og_7sqU7s

Great, great video, WLJ !  It seemed they were too high for a bird strike when the "pop" occurred --yes, no?

A. Is there any way to enhance the images to see if that was the case?

B. Do they have black (actually orange) box flight recorders on those planes in the aerobatic function?

C.  Do those GE engines send performance reports to satellites the way some P&W and R-R engines do?

[Fly320s]

Great, great video, WLJ !  It seemed they were too high for a bird strike when the "pop" occurred --yes, no?

A. Is there any way to enhance the images to see if that was the case?

B. Do they have black (actually orange) box flight recorders on those planes in the aerobatic function?

C.  Do those GE engines send performance reports to satellites the way some P&W and R-R engines do?

They weren't too high for a bird strike.

A.  I doubt it, but I'm no expert.
B.  No idea.
C.  Not likely considering the age of the plane and the fact they are military.
4.  I'm not WLJ.

[WLJ]

4.  I'm not WLJ.

?