Grounded Snowbirds cleared for flight; making stop in Penticton on way to home base

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds have been cleared to fly again and the team is on their way to Penticton.

The CT-114 Tutor fleet has been grounded since an accident in Fort St. John late in July. One aircraft experienced engine failure as a result of an improperly assembled oil filter, investigators determined. The plane was seriously damaged but the pilot wasn't hurt. 

The Snowbirds' were scheduled to perform in Penticton, Aug. 3, but that event and several other performances were cancelled.

The team is currently en route to the Penticton Airport from Fort. St. John and from there they fly to their home base at CFB Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan, according to an update from the Snowbirds on social media.

The planes underwent “a thorough risk assessment and fleet-wide inspection” before they were cleared to fly again.

READ MORE: Snowbirds Peachfest performance in Penticton cancelled

While the aircraft been cleared to fly, the remaining Snowbirds' shows have been cancelled for the rest of the year.

“Having not flown since early August, our team will take the necessary time to re-train and get back in the air,” reads the social media post. Once back at their home base, the pilots will begin training for the 2023 season.

Shortly before the crash in July, the Snowbirds performed in Kelowna to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the city's airport. 

The Snowbirds were previously grounded in June due to concerns about the parachutes used as part of the ejection systems.

The Snowbirds have lost several other aircraft in recent years, including a crash in Kamloops, B.C., in May 2020 that killed Capt. Jenn Casey.

Investigators later determined that the crash was caused by a bird flying into the jet's engine while it was taking off.

That crash was the second in less than eight months after another Tutor went down in the U.S. state of Georgia in October 2019.

A flight investigation found a problem with that plane’s fuel-delivery system, while flagging concerns with the ejection system.

Similar concerns about the ejection system were raised by investigators after the Kamloops crash.

The Defence Department says it plans to keep flying the Tutor fleet through 2030.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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