Aerobatic jets collide, crash
NZPA-Reuter Toronto Two jets from the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic team crashed into Lake Ontario during a Toronto airshow yesterday, apparently after touching wing-tips in mid-flight. A Toronto police inspector, Albert Boccongelle, said “one pilot appears to have gone down with the plane” while another ejected and was taken to hospital.
Witnesses reported seeing a parachute shortly before a loud explosion rocked the Toronto waterfront.
“The one aircraft just literally disappeared into a complete ball of flame and black smoke,” said a witness, Owen James, of Toronto. “They were flying in a fairly close formation, operating away from the main team.”
The nine-member team, commanded by Major Dan Dempsey, performs more than 60 shows throughout North America each year. The team, now in its nineteenth season, flies the CT-114 Tutor, a singleengine jet trainer used by the military as its basic training aircraft. The plane is manufactured by Canadair, Ltd, of Montreal and has a maximum speed of 755km/h. The Snowbirds* performance includes at least 30 separate manoeuvres. Officially known as the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, it is a permanent unit of the Canadian Forces based at CFB Moosejaw, Sask.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19890905.2.63.3
Bibliographic details
Press, 5 September 1989, Page 8
Word Count
194Aerobatic jets collide, crash Press, 5 September 1989, Page 8
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.