The Royal Canadian Air Force has confirmed one member of the Snowbirds team has died, and one has sustained serious injuries following a crash in Kamloops Sunday afternoon.
The deceased person has been identified as public affairs officer, Captain Jennifer Casey.
Casey served as a spokesperson for the Snowbirds and was on the plane when it crashed.
The injured pilot has not been identified as of this publication.
The plane had just taken off from the Kamloops airport around 11:40 a.m with one other jet and was bound for Comox.
Video shows the jet rise, then circle, before it crashed in the area of Glenview Drive in Kamloops.
Photos and videos on social media show flames and a large amount of black smoke in the area, as well as a pilot being ejected from the plane moments before it crashed.
“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,” the CF Snowbirds announced in a Tweet.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a message, saying, “My thoughts are with the brave members of the @RCAF_ARC. ” He added in a second tweet “I would also like to thank the emergency personnel in Kamloops who responded so quickly to this tragic incident.”
There are reports that two elderly people who were inside of a home in the area of the crash at the time were able to escape, before the house caught on fire.
The Canadian Armed Forces’ Snowbirds aerobatics team embarked on a cross-country flyover tour which started last weekend in Nova Scotia, in an effort to boost morale across the nation.
The flyovers looked to salute everyone working to flatten the curve amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and were scheduled to fly over Vancouver Island today.
