24 août 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
Maintenance on Snowbirds aircraft will be increased, some flight restrictions put in place after two crashes
David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen Maintenance on the Canadian military aircraft used by the Snowbirds will be increased and flying operations involving those planes will be restricted, the Canadian Forces announced Monday. Brig.-Gen. Denis O'Reilly, commander of 2 Canadian Air Division, said that the operational pause on the CT-114 Tutor fleet had been lifted but that new measures were being implemented in the wake of two crashes of Snowbirds aircraft in the last year. The operational pause was brought in following a Snowbirds CT-114 Tutor accidentin Kamloops, B.C. on May 17, which resulted in the death of Capt. Jennifer Casey, the Snowbirds public affairs officer. Casey was a passenger in the aircraft. The pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall, survived with serious injuries. Last year the aerobatic team was temporarily grounded by the Royal Canadian Air Force after a crash of one of its aircraft near Atlanta, Georgia. The crash happened on Oct. 13. Snowbird pilot Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier was forced to eject from his Tutor aircraft shortly before the team's performance in Atlanta, the team stated at the time. Domon-Grenier suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution following the ejection. The Tutor jet crashed into a farmer's field and there were no injuries on the ground. The return to flying operations follows a technical and operational risk analysis that has outlined a series of risk mitigation measures, according to the Canadian Forces. Due to the fact that there were two CT-114 Tutor accidents within eight months, the scope of the analysis was designed to be deliberate, detailed and broad to enhance the general safety of the CT-114 Tutor operations, it added. The measures being implemented place some restrictions on flying operations and focus on increased maintenance requirements. A Directorate of Flight Safety investigation into the accident that killed Casey continues. Once that investigation is complete, the Royal Canadian Air Force will determine if further mitigation measures are required, according to the Canadian Forces. The investigation into the Kamloops accident is focusing on a bird strike as well as the performance of the aircraft's escape system. The investigation into the Georgia crash determined that the most probable cause of the accident was a fuel delivery system failure within the engine. The remainder of the Snowbirds 2020 air demonstration season has been cancelled, and the team will now focus on gradually returning to flying operations, according to the Canadian Forces. The RCAF has a total of 23 CT-114 Tutor aircraft, including 18 at 431 Squadron. There are also five at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., which are on the verge of retirement and storage. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/maintenance-on-snowbirds-aircraft-will-be-increased-some-flight-restrictions-put-in-place-after-two-crashes/wcm/93e929f3-d3f1-4d23-8677-412e9d6d941d/