By Jay D Haughton
The operational pause for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Snowbirds has been lifted.
The squadron said in a social media post that after a risk assessment and fleet-wide inspection, pilots were able to head to Penticton, B.C., and return the CT-114 Tutor fleet to Moose Jaw.
Though the pause has been lifted, the Snowbirds will miss the remainder of the air shows they had scheduled this year.
The fleet has been grounded since Aug. 10, after one of their Tutor jets crashed at an air show in Fort St. John, B.C., on Aug. 2. The aircraft was taking off from Fort St. John to fly to Moose Jaw when the accident occurred.
The lifting of the Snowbirds’ operational pause comes after the preliminary report of the crash was released on Wednesday.
According to a preliminary report, engine failure due to an improperly assembled oil filter caused the Snowbirds aircraft to crash.