From
Kamloops This Week:
Witnesses saw at least one pilot eject before the plane crashed. He landed on the roof of a house on nearby Schreiner Street and was rescued by Kamloops Fire Rescue.
A witness told KTW a second person, a female, appeared to have succumbed to her injuries.
Dana Hings is a retired nurse from New Westminster who is visiting her daughter in Brock.
“We were in the garden and we heard a large crash,” Hings told KTW, noting they heard calls for medical help.
Hings and her daughter rushed to the backyard of the home and found a person who appeared to be deceased.
“I saw a deceased female with catastrophic injuries,” Hings said. “It looked like she hit a tree. It’s insane. It’s not supposed to happen. This [the Snowbirds tour] is supposed to be a good thing and she died.”
The Royal Canadian Air Force released a statement at 12:54 p.m. on Sunday: “The RCAF has been made aware that a Canadian Forces Snowbirds aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Kamloops, B.C. Our priority at this time is determining the status of our personnel and supporting emergency personnel. When appropriate, more information will be made available."
Cory Pelton was on Aviation Way, watching the planes, when he saw the crash and drove to the house the plane hit.
“You could smell raw fuel everywhere. I ran into the backyard and, just as I jumped over the back fence, I saw the elderly couple coming out. I asked if there was anyone else in there or any pets and they said no, that’s it.”
He said the plane hit the attached garage and a little bit of the house.
Another witness, a Kamloops man who did not wish to have his name published, said he was at the airport for an hour before the crash to watch the Snowbirds squadron take off as they were to continue their cross-Canada tour by heading to Vancouver lsland.
He said two jets took off together and all looked normal as they rose above the airport.
“All of a sudden, one of the planes suddenly went up, straight up, quite high, then it started dropping and doing a barrel roll,” he said. “It did a few spirals and I saw the ejector seat pop out. Then I saw a big fireball, an explosion.”
He said those watching the planes take off initially did not realize anything was wrong as the one Snowbird began climbing vertically, then descended with barrel rolls.“We thought it was going to do some kind of cool trick,” he said. “It was incredible. I can’t believe I saw it.
https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/wit...use-1.24136744