Snowbirds cancel Penticton performance following incident in Fort St. John

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds cancelled their Penticton Peach Festival performance in the wake of an incident in Fort St. John.

A 431 Air Demonstration Squadron CT-114 aircraft was headed to Penticton Tuesday, where the rest of the Snowbirds were at that time preparing for the Penticton Air Display.

READ MORE: Canadian Snowbirds and SkyHawks fly into Penticton for Peach Fest

Maj. Trevor Reid, public affairs officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, told Global News the CT 114 Tutor aircraft suffered some damage during takeoff from the North Peace Regional Airport in Fort St. John. The pilot and sole occupant of the plane was not injured and an investigation is ongoing.

In a statement, Peach Fest organizers said they’ve been told the aircraft won’t be flown while a Royal Canadian Air Force flight safety team investigates the cause of that incident, meaning the Peach Fest performance was out.

A subsequent statement on the Snowbirds’ social media page says the team will also not take part in the Abbotsford International Airshow that will start on Friday.

0:28 Snowbird aircraft suffers damage during takeoff in northern B.C.

While the Snowbirds are out, Peachfest organizers said that Canadian Forces Skyhawks will still perform Wednesday night, the opening night of Peach Fest, at 5 p.m., landing in Okanagan Lake Park.

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“Both the Skyhawks and Snowbirds will be participating in the Peach Bin Races, which start at noon in the 100-block of Main Street (in front of City Hall). They also will both participate in a meet-and-greet autograph session in Okanagan Lake Park at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

1:54 Canadian Snowbirds and SkyHawks flying into Penticton

The Snowbirds and Skyhawks will also be at the Penticton Airport at 10 a.m. to meet with the public and will have an opportunity for people to view the Tutor aircraft up close.