The investigation into why a Snowbird plane crashed soon after taking off in Kamloops on Sunday is underway.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mike French, the Commanding Officer of the Snowbirds’, says the circumstances that led to the crash that killed Capt. Jenn Casey, are not known at this time.
“The team is devastated by the loss of Jenn,” he said, during a news conference on Monday, calling Casey ‘tireless and energetic’ and the ‘quintessential Public Affairs Officer.’
“She absolutely loved what she did; she was one of the main reasons [Operation Inspriation] has been so well received by the public,” he noted. “Her loss is a serious blow to not only our Team, but to the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole.”
“Today, however, we need a day to decompress and understand what happened to Jenn and to Rich. We will share our hearts with Canadians tomorrow; the team members need this time to be together and to mourn in private.”
He confirmed both occupants of the plane ejected shortly after takeoff over Kamloops. MacDougall, the pilot, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The investigation will be conducted RCAF Directorate of Flight Safety who are already in the Tournament Capital. The results of the investigation will be made public, although French says it could take up to a year, as the process involves interviews, reviewing videos, finding out if any ‘human factors’ at play.
“In about 30 days there will be a quick snapshot released that will show what they have learned so far,” he noted.
French would not speculate on the cause of the crash, but insisted that safety is the Snowbirds’ number one priority. He added that each aircraft is torn down and rebuilt about every two years and subject to regular maintenance and checks prior to every flight.
“Our priorities are always the safety of the public, the safety of our personnel and then the protection of our equipment and property,” he said, adding what happened Sunday was ‘the confluence of all those worst-case scenarios and it became our absolute worst nightmare.’
The RCMP are also investigating the crash and have appealed for people with photos, video, and other information of the crash to reach out.
The Snowbirds’ Operation Inspiration has been put on hold, and the aircraft are grounded in Kamloops for the time-being.
“We want to thank the first responders from the Kamloops region for their timely and professional response, and I would be remiss if I did not mention the stoic and brave response of the members of the public who came to the aid of our teammates, especially those who had the aircraft land in their neighbourhood,” added French.
