Kip Powick Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Sketchy details on CTV..., practicing in Montana for the Malstrom AFB show scheduled for tomorrow, 19th May Eye witness feels that ....apparently pilot killed on impact as no chute seen . Eyewitness stated "the aircraft was one of three and apparently "reared up" and then plunged directly to the ground from a very low altitude" (CTV advises a news conference from CFB Moose Jaw will commence between 8:00pm and 9:00pm EDT and CTV will carry the news conference live) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Snowbird plane crashes in Montana, pilot killed Updated Fri. May. 18 2007 8:05 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff A Canadian Forces Snowbird plane has crashed during a rehearsal for an air show in Malmstrom, Montana, killing the pilot. A coroner has been called to the scene at Malmstrom Air Force Base, and a press conference is expected in Moose Jaw, Sask. where the Snowbirds are based. The jet was flying in formation with five other planes from Canada's renowned aerobatics team. According witness Greg Dart, the plane plummeted at about 4 p.m. at the south-end of the base. "There were a number of planes flying in formation, and had they just completed a heart- shaped figure in the sky," he told CTV Newsnet. "It looked like they were getting ready to disassemble. We saw three planes do a little loop and it almost looked like they were coming right at us. The two lead planes split, and the third plane looked like it reared up a little bit and then just plummeted straight into the ground." Dart said he could feel the force of the impact. The team was preparing to perform Saturday and Sunday in Great Falls, Mont. at Malmstrom's open house and sport auto-rama. The last Snowbirds plane crash happened on Aug. 24, 2005 when Capt. Andrew Mackay lost control of his jet in a rural area west of Thunder Bay, Ont. Mackay ejected from the jet before the crash and wasn't hurt. The Snowbirds fly CT-114 Tutor jets, an aircraft designed in Canada and used by the team since 1971. The Canadian Forces had used the same plane for basic pilot training since 2000. The jets have a top speed of 750 kilometres per hour with their signature smoke tanks attached, and weigh 7,170 pounds. More to come... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Snowbird Crashes in Malmstrom AFB - Pilot Killed on Impact Written by Aviation.ca Saturday, 19 May 2007 15 Wing Moose Jaw - /Aviation.ca News/ - A Snowbird jet has crashed during a routine training mission at the Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Montana. Captain Shawn McCaughey, 30, was killed after his jet crashed at approximately 3:45 p.m. on the south end of the base’s main runway. Eye witness reports stated that McCaughey was coming out of the Heart Maneuver when one his wings started to malfunction. One second later, the jet had crashed into the ground. McCaughey, from Candiac, Quebec, was in his second year with the Snowbirds and flew the No. 2 jet in the Inner Right Wing position. Captain McCaughey brought over 1,400 hours of military flying time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon The Loon Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Deepest condolences to Shawn's family, friends and colleagues. I hope to God that this was not another structural failure (akin to Grande Prairie) as it is beginning to sound. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tory/Front/home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 19, 2007 Author Share Posted May 19, 2007 Perhaps it is time.... Associated Press September 26, 2006 at 9:45 PM EDT Moose Jaw, Sask. — A small Toronto company has teamed up with a large American aerospace firm to bid on the opportunity to provide replacement jets for the Snowbirds, the Canadian Forces' aerobatic team. Venga Aerospace System of Toronto and Arinc of Annapolis, Md., would replace the aging Tutors with 18 Hawk jet aircraft. “We will lease the aircraft to them for 20 years,” said Venga president Hirsh Kwinter, adding the proposal includes maintenance of the jets. The proposal is what the government wanted when approached in 2005 with the unsolicited offer, Mr. Kwinter said. Based on available cost estimates of Snowbird operations, he said the lease/maintenance proposal will be about the same as the Snowbirds' current budget, plus a 33 per cent saving on jet fuel from the new Hawk jet models. Hawk jets from British Aerospace are used for jet pilots at the 15 Wing training program in Moose Jaw. “We are the lead company,” Mr. Kwinter said. “Arinc is letting us handle everything.” While Venga is a small company with a mere $28,000 in assets, Mr. Kwinter said Arinc has deep pockets: “Everybody in aviation wants to partner with Arinc.” The government of Canada has been working on the proposal with Venga and “is taking us seriously.” Arinc, with assets in excess of $500-million (U.S.), operates worldwide in avionics and transportation communications systems, with 3,300 employees and operations in 140 countries. The American company has shareholders from Ford and Boeing to Air Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Deepest condolences to Shawn's family, friends and colleagues. I hope to God that this was not another structural failure (akin to Grande Prairie) as it is beginning to sound. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tory/Front/home Always a sad day when a Snowbird goes down. I would doubt very much that it was a structural failure. Sounds more like they touched to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 I hope to God that this was not another structural failure (akin to Grande Prairie) as it is beginning to sound. Moon; what was the structural failure at Grande Prairie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon The Loon Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Capt. Gord de Jong was one of the solo's. They used to do a manoeuvre of an opposing solo, with a rapid roll as they passed each other at fairly low altitude (less than 1,000' if I recall). Gord's bird's entire empennage failed by twisting nearly 90 degrees in opposition to the roll during the early part of the rolling manoeuvre. He punched out but the aircraft was at about 110 degrees of roll. He didn't make it. It was a very sad day as well. The really disgusting aftermath of that accident was the Edmonton Journal's publishing of a 10"x10" full colour picture on the front page of the moment he was ejecting through the canopy. It was tasteless. Edit: The accident happened in 1978. The picture was published in early 1981. It was taken by one of the spectators. I just found this RealAudio slide show at RCAF.com. It is low-res but I think most will enjoy it. RIP Gord. et al... snowbirds.ram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 The interesting part of Gord's accident is he didn't punch out! His seat was thrown out! He did not pull the handles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.