A Canadian Forces Snowbird pilot, Capt. Shawn McCaughey, died Friday afternoon when his CT-114 Tutor jet struck the ground during a practice for an air show at Malmstrom AFB, Mont. Base officials, in consultation with the Snowbird team, said the base open house would continue as planned on Saturday, but they put aerial demonstrations on hold during the accident investigation process. During a press conference, the Snowbird leader, Maj. Robert Mitchell, told reporters that McCaughey was flying inverted at about 300 feet above ground, which he termed a routine maneuver, when the jet crashed. The Toronto Star reports that 31-year-old McCaughey was in his second year with the team and had been a member of the Canadian Forces since 2000. He was a former instructor pilot, but had no previous experience with the Tutor jet used by the Snowbirds since 1971.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.