Canada

Snowbird crashes ahead of air show in Atlanta; pilot safely ejected

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Solarina Ho CTVNews.ca Writer

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TORONTO -- A member of the Canadian Snowbirds had to eject from his aircraft on Sunday afternoon just before the team was set to perform in Atlanta.

Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier, Snowbird 5, landed safely on the ground and is fine, the team said on its official Twitter account. No one was hurt when his plane crashed in an unpopulated area, according to the team.

“It is too early to speculate on the cause of the incident. We are thankful Kevin and the public are unhurt,” the Snowbirds tweeted.

The rest of Sunday's show was cancelled after the crash, event organizers said on Facebook.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Twitter that the crash happened around 1:30 p.m. EDT.

Domon-Grenier and his wife, Capt. Sarah Dallaire, are the first-ever married couple to be part of the same Snowbirds flying formation. Domon-Grenier pilots on the Second Line Astern, while Dallaire, Snowbird 2, flies on the Inner Right Wing.

The Snowbirds, based in Moose Jaw, Sask., are the flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force and are comprised of active duty members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Officially known as the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the team was in Georgia to perform at the Atlanta Air Show.

The Snowbirds fly the Canadair CT-114 Tutor, which were used by the Canadian Forces for pilot-training from 1963 until 2000, and fly an average of 60 air shows across 40 North American locations every season, which runs from May until mid-October.

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RELATED IMAGES In this file photo, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds fly over the stadium at the start of the 106th Grey Cup in Edmonton, Alta. Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck