As the Tutor jets landed, Snowbird 5 stopped well before the end of the runway after a small fire was spotted around the nose wheel
As reported by CBC, there were no injuries after a small fire broke out on one of the nine Canadair CT-114 Tutor trainer aircraft belonging to the Snowbirds, the Canadian Forces (CF) demonstration team, on Aug. 26, 2017.
The team was taking part in Atlantic Canada International Air Show at CFB Greenwood, roughly 144 km from Halifax.
As the Tutor jets landed, Snowbird 5 stopped well before the end of the runway after a small fire was spotted around the nose wheel and two fire trucks rushed out to the runway, said Michele Tremblay, Snowbirds spokeswoman.
“He stopped his plane, and we advised the emergency response team,” said Tremblay. “They arrived immediately, put the flames out, and (the pilots) safely disembarked.”
According to Tremblay, Capt. Matthew Hart and Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier, were aboard Snowbird 5 when the fire occurred.
She said any assessment of the damage to the aircraft would be “pure speculation” until the incident is investigated.
Despite the incident, the Snowbirds regularly performed on Sunday for the second day of Atlantic Canada International Air Show.
Officially known as the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada’s demonstration team whose purpose is to “demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel”.
The team flies 11 CT-114 Tutors, nine for aerobatic performances, including two solo aircraft, and two for spares, flown by the team coordinators. Approximately 80 Canadian Forces personnel work with the squadron full-time.
The Snowbirds, which have been permorming since 1971, continue the flying demonstration tradition of previous Canadian aerobatic teams, that include the Siskins, the Blue Devils, the Golden Hawks, and the Golden Centennaires.
You can see Snowbird 5 incident in the the following video footage captured by Jeremy Hall at Atlantic Canada International Air Show.
Photo credit: screenshot from Jeremy Hall video
