# Snowbird crashes in Thunderbay - pilot safe



## Armymedic (24 Aug 2005)

Breaking news at suppertime here..

A Snowbid jet has crashed nea Thunder Bay, causing tonights airshow to be cancelled...

On CJOH (Ottawa) and on CTV newsnet.


----------



## CADPAT SOLDIER (24 Aug 2005)

I have just heard through one of my dads workers that supposedly a Snowbird has crashed outside of thunder bay less than half and hour ago.
according to him smokes was seen from the aircraft while it was executing a barrel roll followed by a boom then the aircraft hit the bush a search is underway

Now all of this is second hand so forgive me if it was not a snowbird as this man claims it was.

The was working at the new hospital he say the plane passed directly over the building while rolling then it slamed into the bush


----------



## Michael OLeary (24 Aug 2005)

> Snowbird jet crashes at Thunder Bay, Ont
> Last Updated Wed, 24 Aug 2005 18:07:48 EDT
> CBC News
> 
> ...


----------



## Armymedic (24 Aug 2005)

CTV saying pretty much same thing...

Snowbird reported to crash at Ontario air show
CTV.ca News Staff

A Snowbird plane has crashed in the northern Ontario city of Thunder Bay during an air show, organizers say.

The Snowbirds were ready to appear at 5:30 p.m. but the event was reportedly cancelled 10 minutes later when the plane crashed.

The aerial acrobatics team is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Snowbird pilots are selected from the military based on skill and experience, and are tested for their formation-flying proficiency.

In the most recent accident involving the famed Snowbirds aerobatic team, a pilot died last December in a collision with another jet.

Capt. Miles Selby, 31, of Tsawwassen, B.C., was killed instantly in the crash, 64 kilometres south of Moose Jaw, Sask. Capt. Chuck Mallett, 35, of Delta, B.C., was thrown from his Tutor jet about 1,100 metres above ground level.

The Snowbirds had dedicated their 35th season in the air to Capt. Selby.

There have been five other Snowbirds accidents in the past 10 years.

More to follow


----------



## DrSize (24 Aug 2005)

I saw it happen....pretty crazy....the pilot parachuted and was taken to hospital for minor injuries


----------



## 1feral1 (24 Aug 2005)

At least he is okay hopefully, as lives cannot be replaced, aeroplanes can.


----------



## Strike (24 Aug 2005)

Heard on another board that Global is reporting the plane was inverted, there was fire, the plane righted itself, and then the pilot ejected.  Way to keep a head on your shoulders and save your skin.  Hope he's alright.


----------



## Sigop2004 (24 Aug 2005)

From MSN.ca

Snowbird crashes at Ont. air show, pilot ejects 
CTV.ca News Staff

A Snowbird plane has crashed in the northern Ontario city of Thunder Bay during an air show, organizers say. The pilot reportedly managed to eject and parachute to safety.

"I saw one of the planes immediately turn towards the ground and go at a very high speed directly at the ground and disappear behind the trees," an eyewitness told Thunder Bay Television.

"After that I saw a puff of smoke come up from the ground, and I also saw a parachute at 5,000 or 6,000 feet in the air."

The Snowbirds were ready to appear at 5:30 p.m. in front of tens of thousands of spectators, but the event was cancelled 10 minutes later when the plane crashed.

The team is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Snowbird pilots are selected from the military based on skill and experience, and are tested for their formation-flying proficiency.

In the most recent accident involving the famed Snowbirds aerobatic team, a pilot died last December in a collision with another jet.

Capt. Miles Selby, 31, of Tsawwassen, B.C., was killed instantly in the crash, 64 kilometres south of Moose Jaw, Sask. Capt. Chuck Mallett, 35, of Delta, B.C., was thrown from his Tutor jet about 1,100 metres above ground level.

The Snowbirds had dedicated their 35th season in the air to Capt. Selby.

There have been five other Snowbirds accidents in the past 10 years.

More to follow


----------



## beach_bum (24 Aug 2005)

Thank God the pilot made it out okay.


----------



## Sf2 (24 Aug 2005)

The pilot was Capt Andy Mckay.  I knew him while I was a student in Moose Jaw (he was an instructor).  Ironically, he is the one that replaced Miles Selby when he died last winter.

A quote from CBC:   Local resident Dennis Trevisanutto Jr., who was standing on the deck of his home when he saw the crash, said he rescued the pilot after he saw the parachute descending. "I looked out and I could see him parachuting down into the woods. So I thought I'd take a ride over there and see if I could find him or pick him up... When I first saw him I asked if he was OK, and he said yes and said his engines failed." Trevisanutto drove the pilot to the hospital.


----------



## Sigop2004 (24 Aug 2005)

just a small update near the end from msn .ca

Snowbird crashes at Ont. air show, pilot ejects 
CTV.ca News Staff

A Snowbird jet crashed in the northern Ontario city of Thunder Bay before an air show Wednesday. The pilot managed to eject and parachute to safety and a hospital official reports that he's in stable condition.

Jae Malana, a civilian spokesman for the Department of National Defense, confirmed the aircraft was one of the Snowbirds. 

Witnesses reported seeing the pilot eject before his plane hit the ground.

Local resident Dennis Trevisanutto Jr., who was standing on the deck of his home when he saw the crash, said he rescued the pilot after he saw the parachute descending.

"He was fine. He was actually making his way out, just heading south, that's what he told me," Trevisanutto Jr. told CTV Newsnet in a phone interview. 

"And I said, 'Well, follow me this way, because I know there's a bunch of emergency units out there so I'll take you out this way,' and we just walked out."

Another eyewitness told Thunder Bay Television that he saw the plane veer immediately towards the ground at a high speed and disappear behind trees.

"After that I saw a puff of smoke come up from the ground, and I also saw a parachute at 5,000 or 6,000 feet in the air," said the eyewitness.

The Snowbirds were ready to appear at 5:30 p.m. in front of tens of thousands of spectators, but the event was cancelled 10 minutes later when it was announced that the plane had crashed.

The team is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Snowbird pilots are selected from the military based on skill and experience, and are tested for their formation-flying proficiency.

Defence Minister Bill Graham, who's in Thunder Bay, told reporters that it's too early to determine the cause of the crash and that the Air Force will carefully review the incident.

"These are extremely professional and qualified young pilots and I have absolute confidence that, whatever happened there, the pilot worked on whatever he could do to do the right thing," Graham said.

In the most recent accident involving the famed Snowbirds aerobatic team, a pilot died in December 2004 when he collided with another jet.

Capt. Miles Selby, 31, of Tsawwassen, B.C., was killed instantly in the crash, 64 kilometres south of Moose Jaw, Sask. Capt. Chuck Mallett, 35, of Delta, B.C., was thrown from his Tutor jet about 1,100 metres above ground level.

The Snowbirds had dedicated their 35th season in the air to Capt. Selby.


----------



## The Bread Guy (24 Aug 2005)

Latest radio report here in T.Bay (2100E) indicates no serious injuries as police are cordoning off the crash site, located in the back yard of a home in the rural area of Thunder Bay.  There's mixed reports regarding whether the plane was on fire on the way down, or burst into flames on impact.  Media reports indicate 39-year-old Capt. Andrew Mackay of Orleans, Ont. -- ejected safely.   Defence Minister Graham is reportedly in Thunder Bay, and is only saying that there's not much to say until we know exactly what happened.

I wouldn't be mentioning this if the pilot had been seriously injured, or killed, but something jumped out at me in the wire service coverage:  how would YOU describe the Snowbirds?

http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=31247
"A jet from the *fabled *  Snowbirds aerobatics squadron has crashed on its way to an air show in Thunder Bay. "

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/news/shownews.jsp?content=n082485A
"A jet from the *storied* Snowbirds aerobatics squadron fell from the sky Wednesday...."

http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_national.asp?id=91441
"A jet belonging to Canada's *famed* Snowbirds precision flying team crashed at an airshow in Thunder Bay..."


----------



## The Bread Guy (24 Aug 2005)

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2005/24/c2982.html

Attention News Editors: 

Snowbird pilot safely ejects from jet 
    THUNDER BAY, Aug. 24 /CNW Telbec/ - A Canadian Forces Snowbird pilot
safely ejected from his CT-114 Tutor jet Wednesday, August 24 at about
5:25 p.m. in Thunder Bay, Ont., during the warm-up phase before the Thunder in
the Air Airshow.
    Captain Andy Mackay, Snowbird 8, sustained some injuries during the
ejection. He is receiving medical care at the Thunder Bay Regional Health
Services Centre. Next of kin have been notified.
    "Our main focus at the moment is Captain Andy Mackay's well being," said
Major Ian McLean, commanding officer, Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
    Thunder Bay Emergency Medical Services responded immediately and Captain
Andy Mackay was recovered within 15 minutes of ejecting from his jet.

    The site has been secured for a flight safety investigation.

    Note to editors/news directors:  A brief media availability with
Major Ian McLean will be conducted at Confederation College at 1450 Nakina
Drive at 7:45 p.m. (EST) tonight.

For further information: Lieutenant (Navy) Petra Smith, Public Affairs 
Officer, Canadian Forces Snowbirds at (306) 631-7248


----------



## 1feral1 (24 Aug 2005)

milnewstbay said:
			
		

> For further information: Lieutenant (Navy) Petra Smith, Public Affairs
> Officer, Canadian Forces Snowbirds at (306) 631-7248



Thats PAFFO must be out of the 'Jaw, as thats a Moose Jaw number.


Cheers,

Wes


----------



## swanita (24 Aug 2005)

Any idea how this will affect the rest of the Snowbirds airshow schedule?  ???

Thank goodness he's ok though....


----------



## The Bread Guy (25 Aug 2005)

Shameless self promo  

I'll be updating this page during the day when Thursday when I can with the latest:

http://milnewstbay.pbwiki.com/index.php?wiki=SnowBirdCrash

Feel free to drop by - all feedback (good, bad or indignant) welcome!


----------



## Strike (25 Aug 2005)

To those who might be reading this that were involved in a previous thread, a loss of thrust in a tutor would require an emergency action of zoom, idle, air start.

Glad Andy is okay.  He was also teaching when I was in YMJ.


----------



## WannaBeFlyer (25 Aug 2005)

I am glad to hear that Capt. McKay ejected safely. 

I am concerned about their future and safety though. I feel this will get a lot of press/political attention. 

I would love to see them in the Hawk....


----------



## Sf2 (25 Aug 2005)

> Thats PAFFO must be out of the 'Jaw, as thats a Moose Jaw number.
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> ...



Um, yeah, because the Snowbirds are based out of Moose Jaw.  That, and their PAFFO doesn't travel with the team.


----------



## Armymedic (25 Aug 2005)

Hey..lay off Wes. As a former flatlander now occupying down under, he's glad to see any reference to home.

I am surprised to see a pilot as experienced as he still flying with the Snowbirds...4 yrs running. I thought they rotated out every 2 yrs or so. 

So was it compressor failure that caused the jet to crash? 

like my spoon?


----------



## Strike (25 Aug 2005)

Mackay took over the spot left open after Miles went down in December.

As for the cause of the crash, Mackay told the guy who came to pick him up that he lost his engine.  As for confirmation, we'll have to wait and see what the flt safety report says.


----------



## Sf2 (25 Aug 2005)

yup, tryouts and selections were already over, so they needed someone fast after Miles died....who better than someone who just left the team?


----------



## 1feral1 (25 Aug 2005)

short final said:
			
		

> Um, yeah, because the Snowbirds are based out of Moose Jaw.   That, and their PAFFO doesn't travel with the team.



Saskatchewan born and bread, and I personally  ;D,  yes personally know each white line (and power pole) on the Trans Canada between YMJ and YQR without a doubt.

In some wierd way, I sure miss that flatness.


----------



## 1feral1 (25 Aug 2005)

Armymedic said:
			
		

> .... I am surprised to see a pilot as experienced as he still flying with the Snowbirds...4 yrs running. I thought they rotated out every 2 yrs or so.



For those that know him, my cousin, MAJ Jayson Miles-Ingram (now in Cold lake AB) was with them for about 4 yrs also. He was Snowbird No.5. I was in Canada in 2000, and he had been with them since about 1996 or 1997. We ended ( 2 of us Aussies) up in their Mess in the Jaw, and had a tour around their hangar, etc.

Cheers,

Wes


----------



## Sf2 (25 Aug 2005)

i believe the tour has been extended to 3 yrs.

I did OJT with 431 Sqn for 6 months while waiting for my Harvard course, when Bob Painchaud was Boss.   Good times in that office with Marg.....


----------



## Air4ce (26 Aug 2005)

Wesley H. Allen said:
			
		

> For those that know him, my cousin, MAJ Jayson Miles-Ingram (now in Cold lake AB) was with them for about 4 yrs also. He was Snowbird No.5. I was in Canada in 2000, and he had been with them since about 1996 or 1997. We ended ( 2 of us Aussies) up in their Mess in the Jaw, and had a tour around their hangar, etc.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Wes



Small world.  I work with your cousin.  He's flying with us at AETE while he waits for his Hornet course.  Lots of good stories of when he flew with the Snowbirds


----------



## Sf2 (26 Aug 2005)

Jayson was also a standards pilot for while (not on the show team), so that would have led to the longer posting as well.


----------

