2 pilots eject before jet crashes in Alberta

[observor 69]

A jet used to train fighter pilots crashed just before noon MT Friday near CFB Cold Lake in northern Alberta.

Military spokeswoman Capt. Nicole Meszaros told CBC News that two crew members were able to eject safely from the CT155 Hawk aircraft and walk away from the crash.

The plane went down about 3½ kilometres southeast of the runway. Both pilots are in good condition, Meszaros said.

Mike Groulx saw the crash while he was driving with his son on Highway 26.

"We were right there," Groulx told CBC News. "We were driving over airplane pieces on the road 'cause it had crashed in a farmer's field ... and it had skidded across the road into the people's yard.

"It was just a big ball of fire when we were there. Lots of smoke, lots of fire, lots of little explosions."

Groulx also saw one pilot with a deflated parachute standing in swamp just off the side of the highway.

Cold Lake is located about 240 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/06/10/edmonton-cold-lake-crash.html

 

[57Chevy]

2 pilots eject before jet crashes in Alberta
Postmedia News June 10, 2011
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/pilots+eject+before+crashes+Alberta/4927259/story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+canwest%2FF235+(Leader-Post+-+News+%2F+National)
Two pilots were forced to eject from a CT155 Hawk aircraft Friday morning moments before the jet crashed short of the runway near Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta, the military said.

The two pilots, who had been on a training exercise, were "in good condition," said Capt. Nicole Meszaros, a spokeswoman for the base.
No one else was aboard the two-seater aircraft.
A flight-safety investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
Cold Lake is about 300 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

 

[Zoomie]

The two pilots, who had been on a training exercise, were "in good condition," said Capt. Nicole Meszaros, a spokeswoman for the base.
No one else was aboard the two-seater aircraft.

It's a good thing nobody else was on board.

 

[George Wallace]

Capt. Nicole Meszaros has just been nominated for the coveted "Capt Obvious Award".

 

[The Bread Guy]

Capt. Nicole Meszaros has just been nominated for the coveted "Capt Obvious Award".

To be fair to the good Captain, it's not clear whether she said that last bit or the reporter wrote it.  In fact, as of this post, the "nobody else was in the plane" line was already out of the latest version of the same story:

.... Capt. Nicole Meszaros said that the aircraft — a two-seater, single-engine CT-155 Hawk — crashed during a training exercise into a vacant field about six kilometres southeast of the base.

Both of the plane's occupants successfully ejected from the aircraft and walked away from the crash.

They were both from the 419 Squadron based at Cold Lake. They were examined by medical personnel on site and released, Meszaros said ....

Good to hear all that got seriously damaged was metal.

Here's the CF's version:

Shortly before 11:50 a.m. MDT today, a CT-155 Hawk jet crashed approximately 2.2 nautical miles southeast of the airfield at 4 Wing, Cold Lake Alberta during a training flight.

The aircraft impacted short of the airfield, and emergency crews have immediately responded. Both occupants of the aircraft, from 419 Squadron based at 4 Wing, successfully ejected from the aircraft and have been recovered. At this time, there are no reports of any injuries.

The exact cause of the crash is unknown at this time. A Flight Safety investigation is currently underway.