Snowbird crash in British Columbia.....
Snowbird crash in British Columbia.....
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Discussion

Turn7

Original Poster:

25,669 posts

250 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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hidetheelephants

35,681 posts

222 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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The pilot seems to have made it to hospital with undisclosed injuries but the display team's PR officer has been killed? Are passengers a thing in display flying?

normalbloke

8,820 posts

248 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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hidetheelephants said:
The pilot seems to have made it to hospital with undisclosed injuries but the display team's PR officer has been killed? Are passengers a thing in display flying?
It was a positioning flight apparently.

Eric Mc

125,600 posts

294 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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normalbloke said:
hidetheelephants said:
The pilot seems to have made it to hospital with undisclosed injuries but the display team's PR officer has been killed? Are passengers a thing in display flying?
It was a positioning flight apparently.
Passengers are often flown by display teams - usually assisting staff such as the team commentator and pretty much the norm on positioning flights.

Eric Mc

125,600 posts

294 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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red_slr

20,627 posts

218 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Looks mechanical, straight after take off departed the formation and started a slow climbing left turn perhaps stalled after engine failure or maybe control issue. (as a non expert)

They are such old aircraft, I appreciate they will be maintained but I don't fancy my chances of an upset attitude forced ejection in one of those at low altitude.

Could not see any chutes on the videos on line either despite the ejection frown


Eric Mc

125,600 posts

294 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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You can hear a distinct "pop" just as the aircraft passes the camera. It sounds like an engine failure.

normalbloke

8,820 posts

248 months

Monday 18th May 2020
quotequote all
red_slr said:
Looks mechanical, straight after take off departed the formation and started a slow climbing left turn perhaps stalled after engine failure or maybe control issue. (as a non expert)

They are such old aircraft, I appreciate they will be maintained but I don't fancy my chances of an upset attitude forced ejection in one of those at low altitude.

Could not see any chutes on the videos on line either despite the ejection frown
My money is on engine failure at low level, traded his remaining energy for an altitude where the seats stood a chance of saving them, then stalled.

eharding

14,648 posts

313 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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red_slr said:
Looks mechanical, straight after take off departed the formation and started a slow climbing left turn perhaps stalled after engine failure or maybe control issue. (as a non expert)

They are such old aircraft, I appreciate they will be maintained but I don't fancy my chances of an upset attitude forced ejection in one of those at low altitude.

Could not see any chutes on the videos on line either despite the ejection frown
In the video linked by Eric there is some footage of the aircraft climbing away on departure, and there is an audible thump from the accident aircraft immediately before it breaks formation, indicating some form of engine problem.

Very sad - the Tutors are now getting very, very long in the tooth - I saw the Snowbirds display at Oshkosh in 2016 and during the display they had one aircraft break off with a technical issue, so they held the whole formation off from the display while the pilot of the unserviceable aircraft landed, got into the reserve aircraft which was being held at full readiness, took off, rejoined the formation and carried on with the display - an impressive demonstration of teamwork from the ground crew as well as the display pilots, but indicative that poor serviceability was something they had come to expect as a regular occurrence.


peterperkins

3,434 posts

271 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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I wonder if she was the one who ejected a nanosecond later and that was the fatal difference?

Presumably the pilot made the eject call and sadly the passengers reaction time was enough at such low altitude to change the outcome frown


Caruso

7,553 posts

285 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Looks like one of them came down on a roof, or at least the parachute did.

Krikkit

27,933 posts

210 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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peterperkins said:
I wonder if she was the one who ejected a nanosecond later and that was the fatal difference?

Presumably the pilot made the eject call and sadly the passengers reaction time was enough at such low altitude to change the outcome frown
I would've thought the ejection of one side would always trigger the other, no?

Very sad anyway, as noted it sounds like engine failure as it passes over the camera, just no other choices.

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Krikkit said:
I would've thought the ejection of one side would always trigger the other, no?
I assume ejections are sequenced with a small time delay to prevent collisons between the two systems?

Krikkit

27,933 posts

210 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Max_Torque said:
Krikkit said:
I would've thought the ejection of one side would always trigger the other, no?
I assume ejections are sequenced with a small time delay to prevent collisons between the two systems?
Yes they are, or at least the ones in jets with front-rear that I've heard about, and anyone pulling the handle triggers the system in a fixed sequence. Quite often with front rear it's canopy -> rear -> front (to ensure the guy in the back doesn't get a face full of rocket exhaust)

Simpo Two

92,641 posts

294 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Krikkit said:
Max_Torque said:
Krikkit said:
I would've thought the ejection of one side would always trigger the other, no?
I assume ejections are sequenced with a small time delay to prevent collisons between the two systems?
Yes they are, or at least the ones in jets with front-rear that I've heard about, and anyone pulling the handle triggers the system in a fixed sequence. Quite often with front rear it's canopy -> rear -> front (to ensure the guy in the back doesn't get a face full of rocket exhaust)
Do I recall ejection seats that fire at the same time but leave at different angles?

Main problem with the occupants in the video is not checking out sooner.

fttm

4,553 posts

164 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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The Snowbirds were on a cross country tour to brighten peoples spirits , they came over our valley on Thursday and put on a great display .Youngest son is a radar and comms tech at their base at 15 Wing Moose Jaw , they're coming back home today . Sad times

RDMcG

20,832 posts

236 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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One dead, one injured.

hidetheelephants

35,681 posts

222 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Those Tutors are really old, shades of the Reds and their ancient Hawks.

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Simpo Two said:
Krikkit said:
Max_Torque said:
Krikkit said:
I would've thought the ejection of one side would always trigger the other, no?
I assume ejections are sequenced with a small time delay to prevent collisons between the two systems?
Yes they are, or at least the ones in jets with front-rear that I've heard about, and anyone pulling the handle triggers the system in a fixed sequence. Quite often with front rear it's canopy -> rear -> front (to ensure the guy in the back doesn't get a face full of rocket exhaust)
Do I recall ejection seats that fire at the same time but leave at different angles?

Main problem with the occupants in the video is not checking out sooner.
indeed, wonder if the pilot was looking for a suitable direction in which to send the plane before they left. then the stall kinda put paid to that plan.... ;-(

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

290 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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hidetheelephants said:
Those Tutors are really old, shades of the Reds and their ancient Hawks.
The Tutor is considerably older, replaced as a trainer by Hawks 20 years ago.