A CT-114 Tutor training jet of the Canadian Air Force ‘Snowbirds’ aerobatic team has crashed into a building in the city of Kamloops right during a demonstration show.
A Snowbirds air show in Kamloops has suddenly gone wrong when one of the aircraft veered out of control and hit the ground soon after takeoff. Videos recorded by the eyewitnesses showed the moment of the chilling incident.
Here's a video that was sent to us at @RadioNLNews from earlier this morning. #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/hc61YWscmQ
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) May 17, 2020
Two of the teams’ CT-114 Tutors took off from the Kamloops airport and were flying low. After gaining some altitude and making an aileron roll, one of them suddenly took a steep nosedive and two streams of smoke were seen ejecting out of it, followed by a loud bang.
Soon after that, the jet crashed into the ground.
Witnesses said that the pilot managed to eject before the crash, and footage seems to confirm that – but it doesn’t show the chutes’ canopies deploying on time.
“I heard these two huge bangs and all of a sudden up in the sky there was a dark black circle of smoke,” said Kerri Turatus.
A witness says she rushed to this home where a @CFSnowbirds plane crashed in #Kamloops.
No official word on the condition of the pilot. pic.twitter.com/igJOCZvDmk
— Alanna Kelly (@CTVNewsAlanna) May 17, 2020
Reports said that the plane crashed into a nearby house. Photos published on the social media showed wreckage burning in someone’s front yard, with part of the building damaged. A parachute on a roof of another building is seen in separate footage.
Just a surreal scene. #Kamloops
(from facebook) pic.twitter.com/rD6UjzeqdH— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) May 17, 2020
While reports said no one on the ground was hurt, there was no confirmation of that immediately available.
Snowbird crashes in Kamloops. pic.twitter.com/l5qQHOf7tR
— Steve Delaney (@TheKamloopian) May 17, 2020
The Canadian Air Force has confirmed the crash but remained tight-lipped on the fate of the pilot, with reports claiming that one person has been injured. Kamloops airport said its emergency crews were responding to the incident.
The #RCAF has been made aware that a Canadian Forces Snowbirds aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Kamloops, BC. Our priority at this time is determining the status of our personnel and supporting emergency personnel. When appropriate, more information will be made available.
— Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) May 17, 2020
Meanwhile, British Columbia’s health minsiter tweeted that one person was hospitalized following the incident but did not provide any further details.
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Source: RT