The Department of National Defence has released their report today about the fatal snowbirds crash.
Investigators have concluded that small birds striking the engine shortly after take off, was the reason for the crash on May 17th in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Investigators note that the pilot Captain Richard MacDougall tried to turn back to the airport, but the plane entered an “aerodynamic stall” and he gave the order to abandon the aircraft. However, by that time they were “outside safe ejection seat operation parameters.”
“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. 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,” said Colonel John Alexander, Director of Flight Safety, Royal Canadian Air Force.
The plane, MacDougall, and Casey crashed in a subdivision.
Casey died at the age of 35. She was the public affairs officer with the snowbirds, and before that worked in media here in the Quinte area.
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