September 4, 1989

Tragedy mars CNE air show

JOHN MAHLER/TORONTO STAR

DOOMED PLANE: Maj. Dan Dempsey, commander of the Snowbirds precision flying team, ejected safety from his Tutor jet seconds before this picture was taken. Damage is clearly evident on the trailing edge of the rightwing.

 

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Two jets of the famous Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic team crashed into Lake Ontario yesterday at the CNE air show, killing one pilot and injuring the commander of the squad.

Killed was Capt. Shane Antaya, 24, of Moose Jaw, Sask., and Stratford, who was in his second year with the team. He is a native of Jamaica and was raised in Windsor.

The Snowbird commander, Maj. Dan Dampsey, 36, of Moose Jaw, ejected from his burning Tutor jet and parachuted into the water. He was rescued by a boat and treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Lt-Col Claude Thibault, 42, base commander of Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw, said three of the planes were in tight formation downward when "something went wrong." He refused to speculation on whether the planes collided. Thibault said all of the Snowbird's 15 remaining shows have been cancelled.

Eyewitnesses said the two, 7,000 pound planes appeared to collide while in a tight formation manoeuvre just above the lake. And a photograph taken by Star photographer John Mahler a split second before Dempsey's Tutor smashed into the lake clearly shows major damage to the outer right wing, including almost all of the aileron, a control surface.

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the canopy of the aeroplane flown by Antaya smashed into the trailing edge of the commander's aircraft, said Capt. Stephen Roberts, an armed forces public affairs officer. "No, we cannot rule out a mid-air collision," said Roberts, adding The Star's photograph will be treated as "one more piece of evidence."

The other wingman in the three-man section, who landed safely after the accident, was Capt. Steve Will, a native of North Bay who now lives in Moose Jaw.

Antaya had more than 1,800 flying hours in the military and was a former flying instructor. His mother, his wife Suzanne, and brother and sister were in the CNE audience and witnessed the crash. The search for Antaya and his plane was stopped yesterday at 7:40pm and will resume again at first light today.

The crash occurred at about 1:45pm., 15 minutes into the team's 24-minute performance. Both of the Canadian-made, CT-114 Tutor planes smashed into the lake at about 250 knots half a kilometre off Ontario Place.

Things began to go wrong when seven of the red, white and blue 412-knot aeroplane were performing a spectacular manoeuvre called the "Upward-Downward Bomb Burst. Four of the planes, white smoke streaming from their tailpipes, began an upward climb in formation toward three planes in tight formation coming down directly at them. The seven plans passed closed together. Four continue straight upwards.

But, according to a videotape viewed by The Star, two of the planes flying downward directly at the water seemed to collide. Antaya's plane plummeted into the lake. There was no sign of the pilot attempting to recover. Dempsey's plane recovered from the dive towards the lake, started on an east-to-west flight path and burst into flames. Dempsey did not eject until flames had almost completely engulfed his tutor jet as it spun wildly just above the lake's surface.

He was rescued by a boat and taken to Toronto Island. A health ministry air ambulance helicopter, on standby on the waterfront helipad at Ontario Place, flew to pick him up.

The planes hit the water a few thousand metres from each other. They just missing striking some of the thousand of pleasure boats bobbing in the water whose occupants traditionally get the best view of the 2½-hour show. The show continued after the crash "because it's an air show tradition," said Jacquie Perrin, the shows director of public relations.

Last night at the Constellation Hotel, where the Snowbirds are staying the mood was black. "Dan wanted to do so well and something like this had to happen," said a friend who did not wish to be identified. "he feels so responsible."

During all Snowbird aerobatics, only one pilot's calm voice is heard from the nine team members. That is the voice of Dempsey who issues crisp, brief commands to the other eight pilots.

A military Board of Inquiry has been called to investigate. It is unlikely that its report will be made in less than a year. An air show spokesman said it was doubtful the team would perform today, its last scheduled appearance in the three-day show that began Saturday.

After the crash, organizers placed the show on "show standby," meaning all participants were to stay prepared to perform, Perrin said. Perrin said the show would not have continued if any spectators had been injured. CNE general manager Peter Moore said the decision to continue the show was made jointly by Air Canada, Captain Gerry Spracklin, head of the air show organizing committee, CNE staff and other air show officials.

Defence Minister Bill McKnight said the decision on whether to discontinue the Snowbirds team "is not a decision that will be made immediately. It will be made in calmer times." In a telephone interview from Saskatoon, McKnight said Snowbirds are "the cream of our youth" and are important to keep as a show team because they demonstrate the high degree of training and capability of personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Dempsey was taken to Toronto General Hospital with facial lacerations and a minor to his leg. He was released from hospital shortly afterwards.

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