Canada releases report on CAF Snowbirds incident
The Canadian Department of National Defence released its Airworthiness Investigative Authority report following the crash of a CAF Snowbird aircraft on 17 May which left one pilot dead.
The preliminary From the Investigator (FTI) report revealed that a video has emerged showing one bird near the right engine of the aircraft during the critical post take-off phase. As a result, the investigation will focus on environmental factors alongside the aircraft’s escape system failure.
Col John Alexander, Director of Flight Safety and Department of National Defence’s Airworthiness Investigative Authority, said: ‘During any Flight Safety investigation, we focus on completing a thorough, accurate and professional investigation. While we might quickly understand what happened in an accident, the most difficult work of an investigation begins as we peel back the layers to understand why and how this happened.’
The CT-114 Tutor fleet of Snowbirds has been placed on a temporary operational pause since the accident occurred in Kamloops, British Columbia.
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