Snowbirds grounded after problem discovered with emergency ejection parachute
A problem with the aircraft's emergency ejection parachute has grounded the Canadian Forces Snowbirds for the foreseeable future.
The Department of National Defence said Friday the iconic aerobatic team will not fly in upcoming airshows and flybys until a problem with the timing device that releases the parachute during an emergency ejection is fixed.
The military says the issue was discovered during maintenance on parachutes aboard the CT-114 Tutor aircraft flown by the Snowbirds team.
Airplane technicians at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, in Saskatchewan, found on June 19 that the timing device may not be calibrated correctly, according to a National Defence statement.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the parachutes currently being used by aircrew flying in CT-114 Tutor aircraft will now be re-tested and re-packed, as necessary, to ensure proper timing is set for their activation in the event of an emergency," the department said.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is working with a third-party contractor to fix the problem, with no timeline for completion in sight, according to the military.
The air force expects that upcoming performances scheduled for next week in New Brunswick will be cancelled. Technicians are working to get the aging Tutor jets back in the air for Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa, according to the military.
"While it is certainly disappointing the Snowbirds anticipate they will need to cancel upcoming performances until this technical issue is resolved, I applaud our aviation technicians for discovering this issue," said 1 Canadian Air Division commander Maj.-Gen. Eric Kenny in a statement.
"We have full confidence that this issue will be resolved in a safe manner, working with a third-party aviation contractor and our own technical and maintenance experts," Kenny added.
The air force says the issue with the parachute timing device is not related to the fatal crash of the Snowbirds jet that killed public affairs officer Capt. Jenn Casey in Kamloops, B.C., in May 2020.
PRIOR PARACHUTE ISSUES
One month after the fatal Kamloops crash, a military investigation into an earlier crash was released, finding that the ejection seat of a Snowbirds aircraft became tangled with the pilot's parachute as he tried to escape his plane before hitting the ground in 2019.
The pilot sustained minor injuries and the Tutor jet was destroyed after slamming into a farmer's field while en route to an airshow in Atlanta, Ga.
Investigators determined the entanglement prevented the parachute from opening properly.
The report found the most likely cause of the parachute malfunction was the release of one or more parachute pack cones before the timing device was activated.
"Entanglement of the suspension lines with parts of the ejection seat immediately followed, ultimately disrupting the proper opening of the parachute canopy," according to a summary of the report.
"Inspection of all related Tutor aviation life support equipment was subsequently carried out to ensure fleet airworthiness."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.