An investigation into the Snowbirds crash last year that killed one person has concluded the plane lost power after a small bird was sucked into the engine.
The crash on May 17, 2020 killed Snowbirds public affairs officer, Capt. Jenn Casey, and injured the pilot Capt. Richard MacDougall. Details released this morning says a loud, impact-like sound was heard after the bird strike which led to a compressor stall and a loss of thrust. That caused the pilot to climb straight ahead and then attempt to turn left and head back towards the airport.
That manoeuvre led to an aerodynamic stall halfway through the turn before the pilot gave the order to abandon the aircraft, the report said.
“Snowbird 11’s power loss could not have come at a worse time – low altitude, low airspeed, proximity to another aircraft, and in the vicinity of a built-up area,” said Colonel John Alexander, the Director of Flight Safety with the Royal Canadian Air Force. “This tragic accident reinforces the importance of continuous, situation-specific training to minimize reaction time in an emergency and the importance of a timely decision to eject.”
Both MacDougall and Casey ejected from the aircraft at low altitude in conditions that were “outside safe ejection seat operation parameters”, according to a statement from the Canadian Armed Forces.
“Neither the pilot nor the passenger had the requisite time for their parachutes to function as designed,” the statement noted.
A preliminary report released last June indicated a bird strike as the likely cause of the crash.
“DNA evidence from the engine’s internal components confirmed the ingestion of a bird as witnessed from video evidence; however, the damage it caused was insufficient to cause a catastrophic failure,” the statement added. “Rather, it resulted in a compressor stall that was never cleared.”
The final report makes five preventative and safety-focused recommendations – three of which are focused on operations and two on the aircraft and its systems – with the aim of preventing a similar accident in the future.
It identified the need to conduct additional training for CT-114 aircrew to better prepare them for an engine failure after take-off in a low-level environment, to clarify the command to ‘eject’, to publish a directive to clarify how aircrew should prioritize an ejection-scenario near or over a populated area, and research potential options to stabilize the ejection seat from any tendency to pitch, roll, or yaw.
The investigation also recommended that the practice of storing items between the ejection seat and the airframe wall be stopped immediately.
“We are dedicated to learning from this accident and welcome the flight safety recommendations to minimize the chance of a repeat occurrence,” added Brigadier-General Denis O’Reilly, Commander 2 Canadian Air Division with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The entire Snowbirds fleet was grounded for four months, with the planes eventually leaving Kamloops last September bound for home base at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Sask. The team is currently training ahead of the 2021 Show Season. Safety focused operational restrictions will continue to be in place for flying and maintenance activities.
“Certainly one of my darkest days as mayor was when we lost the Snowbird and we lost the life of Capt. Jennifer Casey but they will live to fly again,” Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian said in September.
At the time of the crash, the Snowbirds were in the middle of Operation Inspiration, an effort spearheaded by Capt. Casey meant to bring joy to Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Photo via RCAF)
Flight Safety Investigation Report for Kamloops Snowbirds accident
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s Directorate of Flight Safety has concluded its investigation into an accident involving the Snowbirds in Kamloops. https://t.co/7XqI93I1Zj pic.twitter.com/mfY5Lt3YaY
— Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) March 29, 2021
