Richard MacDougall Wiki – Richard MacDougall Bio
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed that Captain Jennifer Casey died in the tragic Snowbirds plane crash in Kamloops on Sunday morning, while Captain Richard MacDougall was seriously injured.
Casey, originally from Halifax, was the team’s Public Affairs Officer, while MacDougall, from New Brunswick, was one of the team’s co-ordinators and the pilot of the crashed jet.
“The Snowbirds’ Op INSPIRATION brought joy to Canadians across our country,” General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, said in a statement. “Today, we come together in their time of need. To the family of Captain Jenn Casey we send our condolences, know that she was an inspiration to many and she will be missed. To Captain Richard MacDougall, we wish you a speedy recovery.”
Richard MacDougall Serious injuries in the crash
The pilot of the CT-114 Tutor aircraft, Capt. Richard MacDougall, sustained serious injuries in the crash, but they are not considered life-threatening.
Casey is from Halifax and joined Canada’s Armed Forces in 2014 after several years working as a journalist, according to her biography on the Royal Canadian Air Force website.
The crash happened before noon PT, shortly after the jet took off from the Kamloops Airport. Witnesses say it was following another jet when it appeared to veer upward and circle the tarmac before going into a nosedive.
Snowbirds jet crash
The accident happened before noon PT, shortly after the plane took off from Kamloops airport. Witnesses say he was following another plane when it appeared to be turning up and around the tarmac before plummeting. The video shows two puffs of black smoke coming from the plane and appears to show at least one person kicked off the plane shortly before touching the ground in a residential area near Glenview Avenue and Schreiner Street.
The Snowbirds aerobatics team was scheduled to do a flyover of the Okanagan area Sunday as part of Operation Inspiration, a salute to Canadians and front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic that started earlier this month in Nova Scotia.
“This accident today really shakes us to our core, but we will do our best to support the military and the men and women in service,” Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian said during a media briefing Sunday afternoon.
“This was a tragic scene … not something that you would expect in the middle of May on a long weekend in Kamloops.”
It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained serious injuries. We can confirm that we have contacted all primary family members of those involved. More information will be communicated in the near future.
Kamloops airport emergency crews initially responded to the incident. The military is sending an investigation team to Kamloops, and the Snowbirds will remain punished for now, Christian said. Kamloops RCMP is asking the public to avoid the area. They are asking anyone who has captured the accident on video to contact them. In a tweet on Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his thoughts are with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
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