The CT-114 Tutor is used by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team – Photo from the Royal Canadian Air Force / Facebook
As a result of the accident involving a 431 (Air Demonstration) Squadron CT-114 Tutor aircraft on August 2, 2022, in Fort St. John, B.C. the Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division has ordered an operational pause on the CT-114 fleet.
As the Operational Airworthiness Authority for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Major General Iain Huddleston implemented the operational pause after consulting with Directorate of Flight Safety investigators and with experts from the Technical Airworthiness Authority within the Department of National Defence’s Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel).
“Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft cannot be flown unless they are determined to be airworthy and safe to fly. Given that the cause of this accident remains to be determined by the Airworthiness Investigative Authority, I have ordered an operational pause on the CT-114 Tutor fleet as we continue the investigation and commence a thorough operational airworthiness risk assessment process,” said Major-General Huddleston. “We will return the fleet to flying operations when it is safe to do so, and in accordance with our rigorous airworthiness program.”
The RCAF will conduct a deliberate, detailed, and broad risk analysis, with the aim of enabling the safe resumption of CT-114 flying operations. This operational pause means the fleet of aircraft will not fly until an operational airworthiness risk assessment can be completed.
The RCAF’s airworthiness system will assess whether the accident and its causes pose any risk to continued flying operations, and if so, what mitigation measures can but put in place to lower those risks.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Directorate of Flight Safety.