One of the Tutor jets grounded at Kamloops Airport (Image Credit: Canadian Armed Forces)

By James Peters

Snowbird Crash

Risk analysis in wake of Kamloops crash results in new safety measures for Snowbird jets

Aug 24, 2020 | 10:37 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Canadian Armed Forces say the ‘operational pause’ that has grounded the Snowbirds fleet of Tutor jets at Kamloops Airport has been lifted.

The announcement was made in a news release issued Monday morning (Aug. 24).

The remaining Tutor jets have been grounded at Kamloops Airport since May 17, the day of a crash in Brocklehurst that resulted in the death of the Snowbirds’ public affairs officer, Capt. Jennifer Casey.

In June, the Royal Canadian Air Force announced it suspected a bird strike as the cause of the crash.

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During the operational pause, technicians completed “a thorough technical and operational risk analysis” of the jets. This was implemented because the Kamloops crash was the second for the Snowbirds in eight months.

Now, the forces say new risk mitigation measures “place some restrictions on flying operations” and will increase maintenance on the Tutor jets. Further measures may be put into place once the Directorate of Flight Safety investigation into the Kamloops crash wraps up.

The remainder of the Snowbirds air demonstration schedule for 2020 has been cancelled. The fleet of aircraft is expected to return to its base at CFB Moose Jaw over the next two weeks.