UPDATE – A member of the Snowbirds team is dead and another was taken to hospital after a Snowbird plane crashed into a house on Glenview Avenue, in the Brocklehurst area of Kamloops, just before noon today.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died,” said a tweet from the Royal Canadian Air Force. “We can confirm that we have contacted all primary family members of those involved.”
The Royal Canadian Air Force later confirmed reports that it was Captain Jennifer Casey, a public affairs officer, who was killed in the incident.
According to her biography online, Capt. Casey was from Halifax and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2014 after working as a journalist in Halifax and in Belleville, Ontario. She joined the Canadian Forces Snowbirds in November 2018.
“Our previous statement indicated that the surviving member of the crash suffered serious injuries, we can confirm that their injuries are not considered life threatening,” added a tweet from the RCAF.
“Our thoughts are also with the loved ones of Captain [Richard] MacDougall. We hope for a swift recovery from his injuries.”
The Canadian Armed Forces says the CT-114 Tutor fleet has been put on an operational pause, noting that the Operation Inspiration tour has been delayed ‘indefinitely’ as a result of today’s crash.
“Another tragedy has hit our Canadian Armed Forces. The Snowbirds’ [Operation Inspiration tour] brought joy to Canadians across our country,” said General Jonathan Vance, the Chief of Defence Staff, in a statement.
“Today, we come together in their time of need. To the family of Captain Jenn Casey we send our condolences, know that she was an inspiration to many and she will be missed. To Captain Richard MacDougall, we wish you a speedy recovery.”
The mayor of Kamloops, Ken Christian, says the crash has shaken the city to its core.
“The military have indicated that they are sending an investigation team to Kamloops and they will be here shortly,” Christian said, in an update to media on Sunday afternoon, describing Kamloops as a ‘military town’.
“The [Snowbirds] are grounded here in Kamloops and we have extended everything that the city of Kamloops and Kamloops Airport can do for the Snowbirds team while they are here.”
Christian says the crash is especially tragic since it was just yesterday that the Snowbirds flew into the Tournament Capital.
“This was…not something you would expect in the middle of a long weekend in Kamloops,” Christian added.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Kamloops Airport – YKA – for their response, as well as Kamloops Fire and Rescue, the BC Ambulance Service, the RCMP and in particular our dispatchers.”
Canada’s Defence Minister, Harjit Sajjan took to twitter to say he is deeply saddened by the news of today’s plane crash.
Also in a tweet, Shadow Minister of National Defence, James Bezan noted that he too was saddened to learn of the incident in Kamloops.
“We pray for the Snowbird who was hospitalized and mourn the loss of the fallen,” Bezan said. “You are in our thoughts and prayers.”
Kamloops Fire Chief Mike Adams says firefighters were on scene roughly five minutes after the crash, which happened around 11:42 a.m.
In an interview with NL News, he confirmed that there were no injures to any of the people who were in the house on Glenview Avenue, as they were able to evacuate before the fire.
“The house that was impacted and then houses adjacent were evacuated as well,” Adams said. “Those people are back in their homes at this time, and then obviously we’ve cordoned off the area to begin an investigation in partnership with the RCMP, and military representatives.”
“We also thank the community and neighbours in that area for being very cooperative and allowing us to do the good work that we do.”
In his press conference, Mayor Christian confirmed that one home was destroyed by fire, while noting that there was an ‘injury’ to another person at a nearby house on Schreiner Street, although the details there were not immediately clear.
BC RCMP Southeast District Spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says police are asking for people with any video footage or other information to call Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000.
Witness Describe Scene
Shannon Forrest was watching the two planes take off this morning by Kamloops Airport when she saw the incident happen in front of her eyes.
“I saw the one plane continue to go forward and then the plane that crashed, he had veered off to the side and went up higher, and then he started to spin around,” she told NL News.
“And I thought he was doing a trick, and I realized that the plane had died, and it started to spiral downwards, and then I saw the two deployments. I believe there was two pilots, but it may only be one, I don’t know, but I saw two chairs deploy of the plane, and then the plane crashed and hit the ground.”
Social media was full of several pictures and video showing black smoke in the area by Kamloops Airport taken by numerous eyewitnesses.
“We were looking towards the airport and somebody on the second floor [of RiverBend Manor] said he heard a big bang and then the big plume of smoke went up,” said witness Drina Latrace. “Its bad, whatever it is.”
Kenny Hinds, who lives in a house seven doors down from the crash site, said it looked like the living room of the house where the crash occurred was on fire.
“I just started running down the street. And I got there maybe a minute after it crashed and there was a couple of residents that had their hoses out and they were trying to put the flames out because it hit a house,” he told the Canadian Press.
“It looked like most of it landed in the front yard, but maybe a wing or something went through the roof perhaps.”
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.
Poor weather forced the Snowbirds to change their plans, and instead of heading to the Okanagan, they decided to head to CFB Comox, on Vancouver Island, according to a tweet sent out at 10:21 a.m., about an hour before the crash happened.
“I’ve seen the Snowbirds since I was a little kid at Abbotsford and things like that,” Geoff, who declined to provide his last name, told NL News.
“I was pretty excited to see them come in yesterday and this isn’t the way I wanted it to go.”
This is the second second crash involving the Snowbirds aerobatic team in less than a year.
A Snowbirds pilot suffered minor injuries after he had to to eject himself from his plane during an event in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States in October.
– With files from Brett Mineer, Bill Cowen, Jon Keen, and The Canadian Press
Photo via Canadian Armed Forces. More details will be added to this story as it becomes available.
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
Update: Our previous statement indicated that the surviving member of the crash suffered serious injuries, we can confirm that their injuries are not considered life threatening.
— Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) May 18, 2020
I have been in touch with @HarjitSajjan about the @CFSnowbirds crash in Kamloops, BC. My thoughts are with the brave members of the @RCAF_ARC. The CAF will provide an update as soon as possible.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 17, 2020
Here’s a video that was sent to us at @RadioNLNews from earlier this morning. #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/hc61YWscmQ
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) May 17, 2020
A flight student I spoke with at the scene said he was getting ready to go up and watched the takeoff. He said as the snowbird peeled off left and up he thought he heard a quick radio transmission to the tower something to the effect of “I need a runway”. #Kamloops #Snowbirds
— Brett Mineer (@MineerBrett) May 18, 2020
This is the scene at the #Kamloops airport as of 3pm. Looks like most if not all of the team has stayed in the city. Not clearly visible here are more snowbirds parked to the left. pic.twitter.com/C5bfXmlnwy
— Brett Mineer (@MineerBrett) May 17, 2020
A @CFSnowbirds just went down in Brock. Pilot ejected. #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/ZUJoM3Eby0
— ᎷᎥᏦᏋ (@MikeGT79) May 17, 2020
Emergency crews including Kamloops Airport’s aircraft rescue fleet are responding to an aircraft crash off airport involving a Canadian Snowbirds jet. More information to follow.
— Kamloops Airport (@KamloopsAirport) May 17, 2020
Video from @JonKeenNLSports. @BC_EHS has confirmed that one person was taken to hospital from this crash scene. #Kamloops@RadioNLNewspic.twitter.com/F7RUlUmDGA
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) May 17, 2020