Snowbirds - Accidents

Accidents

Snowbird aircraft have been involved in many accidents, including several mid-air collisions, resulting in the deaths of seven pilots and one passenger and the loss of several aircraft.

• 10 June 1972: Solo Captain Lloyd Waterer died after a wingtip collision with the other solo aircraft while performing an opposing solo manoeuvre at the Trenton Air Show at CFB Trenton, Ontario.
• 14 July 1973: While performing a practice airshow at Moose Jaw, Captain Carl Stef ejected from his aircraft after a bird strike caused an engine compressor stall. Capt. Stef suffered back injuries because of a hard parachute landing.
• July 1977: Two pilots ejected from their aircraft after colliding during a formation change while performing at Paine Field, Washington. The aircraft fell into Puget Sound and there were no serious injuries.
• 3 May 1978: Captain Gordon de Jong died at an air show in Grande Prairie, Alberta. The horizontal stabilizer failed, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable. Although pilot ejection was initiated, it was not successful.
• 3 September 1989: Captain Shane Antaya died after a midair collision during a demonstration at the Canadian International Air Show during the CNE in Toronto, Ontario when his Tutor crashed into Lake Ontario. During the same accident, team commander Major Dan Dempsey safely ejected from his aircraft.
• 1991: A Snowbird jet crashed during a routine training flight near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The two pilots were not seriously injured.
• 14 August 1992: A crash near Moose Jaw was blamed on a failed engine bearing. There were no injuries.
• 1994: Two pilots ejected from their aircraft near Moose Jaw, sustaining minor injuries.
• 1997: Two jets touched wingtips in mid-air in Glens Falls, New York. There were no injuries.
• 10 December 1998: Captain Michael VandenBos died in a midair collision during training near Moose Jaw.
• 27 February 1999: The nose landing gear of aircraft #6 collapsed during a rough landing at CFB Moose Jaw after a practice air show. There were no injuries.
• 4 September 2000: Aircraft #4 and #1 touched causing minor damage to the wing of one and the tail of the other shortly after takeoff before a demonstration for the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto on the Labour Day weekend. Both planes landed safely with no injuries.
• 10 April 2001: As it landed in Comox, British Columbia in a nine-plane diamond formation, the nose and right-wing landing gear of aircraft #5 collapsed. No one was injured.
• 21 June 2001: Major Robert Painchaud and his passenger ejected after a mid-air collision between planes #1 and #5 as they attempted to rejoin the "Concorde" nine-jet formation for a media shoot over Lake Erie near London, Ontario. The passenger sustained serious injury, but Major Painchaud suffered only bruising and the other aircraft was safely flown back to base.
• 10 December 2004: Captain Miles Selby died in a mid-air collision during training near Mossbank, Saskatchewan while practising the co-loop manoeuvre. The other pilot, Captain Chuck Mallett, was thrown from his destroyed aircraft while still strapped into his seat. While tumbling towards the ground, he was able to unstrap, deploy his parachute and land with only minor injuries. The Corner Gas episode "Air Show", which aired three months later, was dedicated to Selby.
• 24 August 2005: Capt. Andrew MacKay ejected from his CT-114 Tutor jet due to engine failure near Thunder Bay, Ontario, during the warm-up for the Thunder in the Air air show. MacKay sustained only minor injuries.
• 18 May 2007: Snowbird 2, Capt. Shawn McCaughey fatally crashed during practice at Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Montana due to a restraining strap malfunction.
• 9 October 2008: A Snowbird Tutor piloted by newly-recruited team member Capt. Bryan Mitchell with military photographer Sgt. Charles Senecal crashed, killing both, near the Snowbird's home base of 15 Wing Moose Jaw while on a routine, non-exhibition flight.
• 1 March 2011: A Snowbird Tutor landed with gear up at CFB Moose Jaw after a routine training flight. There were no injuries.