Snowbird crash might have been caused by bird

Ottawa—military investigators are pointing to video footage as the reason they suspect a bird strike was responsible for last month’s deadly Snowbird plane crash in British Columbia.

The crash was May 18, shortly after two of the Snowbirds’ iconic Tutor jets took off from the Kamloops Airport while participating in a cross-country tour aimed at boosting Canadians’ morale during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video posted to social media shortly after the crash showed one of the planes climbing a few seconds after leaving the runway before rolling over in the air and plummeting into a residential neighbourhood.

The crash killed Capt. Jenn Casey, the Snowbirds’ publicaffairs officer who was riding as a passenger, while the pilot, Capt. Richard Macdougall, sustained serious but non-lifethreatening injuries. Both ejected from the plane seconds before it hit the ground.

No one on the ground was seriously hurt.

In a preliminary report released Monday, investigators confirmed that a close examination of video showed a bird very close to the plane’s right engine intake “during the critical phase of takeoff.”

“The investigation is focusing on environmental factors (birdstrike) as well as the performance of the escape system,” the report added.

The crash was the second for the Snowbirds since October, after another one of the aerobatic team’s Tutor jets went down during an air show in the U.S. state of Georgia.

The Snowbirds remain temporarily grounded, while the cross-country tour, nicknamed Operation Inspiration, has been suspended.