From the Investigator
Aircraft Occurrence Summary

Type: Tutor CT114159

Date: 18 May 2007

Location: Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana

On Friday, 18 May 2007, the Snowbirds had completed a transit from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Great Falls, Montana. An afternoon practice was planned in preparation for flying displays on Saturday and Sunday at the Malmstrom Air Force Base Open House, located eight miles away from Great Falls International Airport. One of the manoeuvres to be flown was an Inverted Photo Pass in which Snowbird (SB) Lead flies across the show line upright with SB 2 flying inverted on his left wing, SB 3 flying inverted on his right wing, and SB 4 flying inverted above and behind SB Lead.

At approximately 22 minutes into the show, as SB 2 was rolling inverted for the Inverted Photo Pass, the aircraft was seen to dip low, waver, and then depart the formation. Still inverted, the aircraft climbed, then subsequently rolled upright. Upon reaching a nearly wings level attitude, at approximately 750 feet above ground level, the aircraft nosed over. The aircraft impacted the ground approximately 45 degrees nose down. The pilot did not eject and was killed on impact.

Initial analysis has determined that the pilot's lapbelt became unfastened when SB #2 rolled inverted, causing the pilot to fall out of his seat and lose control of the aircraft.

The investigation is focussing on how the lapbelt became unfastened. Preventive measures taken to date include modifications to the pilot restraint system, as well as enhanced training for aircrew and passengers. New procedures as well as changes to the Aircraft Operating Instructions have been implemented to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence.

From the Canadian Forces Directorate of Flight Safety
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/dfs/docs/FTI/CT114159_e.asp

Thanks for posting this, Mike...Thankful that we can lay this particular subject to rest, now that we know what happened...God be with him.

I find it very odd that this was the cause, since there is a history of seatbelt problems with the Tudor jets. I would have figured that this was corrected some time ago. I had to do a little digging, but found this story from January, 2002:


Seat belts problem grounds Air Force jets
Last Updated: Friday, January 18, 2002 | 6:25 PM ET
CBC News
The Canadian Air Force is grounding two types of jet aircraft after problems were discovered with the seat belt systems.

The seat restraints were installed during the last two years on the CT-114 Tutor and the CT-133 Silver Star (T-bird) aircraft.

The Tutor training jet dates from the early 1960s and is used by the Snowbirds aerobatic team. The T-Bird dates from the early 1950s and is used to simulate enemy aircraft.

The air force says no one has been injured by the seat belts but that the aircraft have been grounded as a precaution.