Sarita Patel, Brendan Kergin, Tereza Verenca, Nicholas Johansen & Colin Dacre – Castanet Media, Kamloops
The Canadian Armed Forces has confirmed Captain Jennifer Casey was killed in the tragic Snowbirds plane crash in Kamloops 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.”
Cpt. Casey had joined the Snowbirds in November 2018. Prior to joining, she spent several years working in broadcast radio as a reporter, anchor, and producer in both Halifax, N.S. and Belleville, Ont.
As a result of the crash, the Snowbirds CT-114 Tutor fleet has been placed on "operational pause" and Operation Inspiration has been delayed indefinitely.
"A flight safety investigation will be conducted to ensure our personnel can continue to have confidence in our equipment and procedures," the Department of National Defence said in a statement Sunday night.
"One of the aims of the flight safety program is to investigate such occurrences with the objective of quickly identifying effective preventive measures that will either prevent or reduce the risk of similar occurrences in the future.
A Royal Canadian Air Force flight safety team will fly from Ottawa to Kamloops to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
