Snowbird pilot dies in Saskatchewan crash

Two Canadian Forces Snowbirds crashed in mid-air Friday morning while on a routine practice flight over southern Saskatchewan, killing one pilot and injuring a second.

Capt. Miles Selby, 31, died in the crash. He was a native of Tsawwassen, B.C., and a two-year veteran of the elite aerobatic team.

The Defence Department said the pilot of the other jet, Capt. Chuck Mallett, 35, of Edmonton, Alta., sustained minor injuries and is being treated at Moose Jaw Union Hospital.

• INDEPTH: Snowbirds

The collision took place at about 10 a.m. local time near Mossbank, about 65 kilometres south of Moose Jaw.

Military officials said they don't yet know what caused the crash, but they have suspended all flying training missions from the Snowbirds base in Moose Jaw while they investigate.

"We will regroup and spend some time thinking about our loss," Col. Alain Boyer told a news conference Friday afternoon. "That's our focus right now."

He said the investigation would start Friday or Saturday and likely take a few days.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Bill Graham said that the Snowbirds program would be evaluated because of the crash, but defended it as a "wonderful service" with "superb" pilots.

Witness watches one parachute open

A witness reported seeing a pilot eject after the crash and his parachute open as thick black smoke billowed through the air.

"I heard them crash, looked up, saw the smoke from both planes, watched it fall down to the ground and saw one pilot that had ejected," Jackie Geis told CBC News.

"It was a terrible thing to watch," said Geis, who watched the accident from atop a haystack on a farm outside Mossbank.

Pilot flew missions in Kosovo, Balkans

Selby joined the Canadian Forces in 1991. After training as a fighter pilot, he was posted to Cold Lake, Alta., and flew missions in Kosovo and the Balkans.

Mallet, who is in his third year with the Snowbirds, joined the Forces in 1991 and was posted to the Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Moose Jaw as an instructor.

The Snowbirds fly 11 Canadair Tutor aircraft. Nine perform as a team in air shows and two other spare jets fill in when the others are down for maintenance or repairs. The planes were used as training aircraft by the air force until 2000.

In May, two pilots from 15 Wing escaped from a Hawk training jet before it crashed into a field northwest of the base.