Warbird Information Exchange

Two dead after Tutor plane crashes near Moose Jaw
leaderpost.com
Published: Thursday, October 09, 2008
MOOSE JAW -- Two people are dead, the pilot and a passenger, after a military plane crashed near Moose Jaw, around 12:30 p.m. today, a military official has confirmed.

15 Wing Commander, Col. Paul Keddy confirmed the deaths minutes ago at a news conference here. He did not release the names of the dead, because their families are still being contacted.

Capt. Genevieve Mitchell, the public relations officer for 15 Wing Moose Jaw, said one CT-114 Tutor aircraft crashed approximately two kilometres northwest of the Wing perimeter at about 12:37 today.

Mitchell said the Tutor was on a training mission at the time of the crash.
An eyewitness reported the crash to the Moose Jaw Times-Herald shortly after 12:30, saying a plane went down near 15 Wing Moose Jaw.

15 Wing is home to the Snowbirds, Canada's national air demonstration team. The CT-114 is flown by the Snowbirds, but there is still no confirmation that a Snowbird plane was involved in the crash.

The Times-Herald spoke with area resident Doug Johnson, who was driving north on Highway 2 around 12:30 p.m. Thursday when a group of planes caught his eye.

"There were three together and two off to the side," he said. Johnson said he noticed smoke coming from behind one of the planes and originally thought it was the smoke that often trails after planes during a performance. But then he thought the colour was odd.

"When I turned to look back again, I saw one of the planes beeline into the ground." He thought the plane was a Tutor.

Johnson said he didn't see a parachute, "but that doesn't mean it didn't happen," he said.

Johnson was about three kilometres south of 15 Wing when he saw the crash. He said it was off to the west about five kilometres from Highway 2.

The crash is under investigation by a flight safety team.

Leader-Post reporters Anne Kyle and Karen Brownlee are at the air base, located about 75 kilometres west of Regina, equipped to send back words and pictures. Video will also be shot.

Last April, an instructor and student pilot were ejected from an aircraft at 15 Wing 1 1/2 seconds before it crashed into the end of the runway. Investigators believe the crash may have been caused by a broken turbine blade.