Saturday, May 19, 2007

Sad Start to Snowbird Season.


Tributes pour in for killed Snowbirds pilot
Updated Sat. May. 19 2007 12:39 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds pilot who died after his Tutor jet crashed into the ground Friday was remembered as a fine pilot who was a joy to be around.
The pilot has been identified as Capt. Shawn McCaughey, 31, from Candiac, Quebec
His jet went down at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana during a rehearsal for two air shows scheduled for the weekend in nearby Great Falls. They have now been cancelled.
Col. Richard Foster, the commander of 15 Wing, said McCaughey was a fine pilot and a top military officer.
"He was a very professional pilot,'' Foster said at a news conference at the Moose Jaw, Sask. base where the aerobatic squadron is based.
"I knew him before he became an instructor here in Moose Jaw. He was very jovial, very caring. He did his job very well. He was a very credible pilot and a good friend."
Foster said the team will take an "operational pause" to honour the memory of McCaughey before continuing their summer performance schedule.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called McCaughey a "positive role model and goodwill ambassador," and said he personified the professionalism and dedication of the members of the military.
"It is with great sadness that I learned about the accident that took the life of a decorated and talented pilot," Harper said in a statement Saturday.
"Captain Shawn McCaughey served our country with distinction, honour and professionalism. On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, my deepest sympathy goes out to his family, friends and fellow team members during this difficult time."
McCaughey, a former flight instructor with 1,400 hours flying time, was engaged and was set to get married on June 9.
He was the first Snowbirds pilot to join the team despite having no previous experience with the CT-114 Tutor jet.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed McCaughey's death in a statement Friday evening.
He is the sixth Snowbird pilot to be killed in an air crash since 1972.
Allen Kenitzer, a spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency, said McCaughey's plane was flying in formation and "for some reason shortly thereafter pitched down and crashed."
Witness Gillian Scarber told The Canadian Press she was driving into Great Falls and observed a group of four or five planes practicing a formation when one of the planes crashed into the ground.
"It just smacked into the ground, and there was a big ball of flames," Scarber said, adding that smoke drifted across the highway as emergency crews raced to the scene.
Witnesses said they saw no signs of a parachute and believed the pilot was in the plane when it crashed.
Maj. Robert Mitchell, the Snowbirds' commanding officer, said a team of Canadian military officers would travel to Montana on Saturday to investigate the incident and to try and determine the cause.
He said McCaughey's loss was a major blow to the team.
"Our thoughts, prayers and sincerest condolences are with Shawn's family," Mitchell said in Montana.
"Our priority at this time is to provide support for Shawn's family. Our team is devastated and we miss him."
McCaughey was in his second year with the Snowbirds, and was the No. 2 jet in the Inner Right Wing position.
He joined the Canadian Forces in 2000 after earning a Bachelor's degree in Physical Geography from Concordia University in Montreal.

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