One positive coming out of the crash of an CF-18 Hornet at the Lethbridge County Airport Friday was the fact the airport received international attention.
“At least people are aware of us now,” said Reeve Lorne Hickey.
While the county would certainly not choose a plane crash as a way to advertise the airport, media coverage of the crash even reached CNN over the weekend. Fortunately pilot Capt. Brian Bews was able to eject before the plane crashed and is reported to be recovering from his injuries in Chinook Regional Hospital.
“He’s in good spirits,” said Capt. Holly Brown, public affairs officer at the 1 Canadian Air Division operations headquarters in Winnipeg, Man.
Although unable to discuss Bews’ specific injuries, Brown said he is doing well, and friends and family are hoping for a quick recovery and a swift conclusion to the investigation into the crash. She said Bews is fortunate to have survived the incident, which happened low over the airport about noon Friday.
“We’re so relieved.”
She pointed out Bews was well-trained for the stunt he was practicing, but “something happened,” to make it go all wrong.
He was practicing for the Alberta International Airshow a High Alpha Pass, a common stunt in which the pilot brings the plane in low and relatively slow with it’s nose angling sharply upward, then swiftly shoots vertically into the sky. During the practice run, however, instead of soaring skyward, the aircraft tilted to the right and plunged to the ground where it exploded in a ball of fire and black smoke.
Bews managed to eject just as the plane tilted, but he was shot out horizontally and then dragged by the wind after he hit the ground, fortunately away from the burning plane and scattered debris.
Airshow president Robb Engen said the incident didn’t marred the show, and may have even attracted a few more people because of the national attention the crash received.
“People are coming to see that,” he said over the weekend. “We’re having phenomenal turnout.”
Both Coaldale and Lethbridge fire and EMS responded to the plane crash and were on scene for about two hours.
The investigation into the crash continues this week. Airport Manager Scott Butchart said county is cooperating with the Department of National Defense’s accident investigation team to recover the wreckage.
He expects their work on site will be completed by Tuesday or Wednesday. He said outside of the airshow it is not uncommon for F-18s to land at the airport for refueling.
“It’s part of operating an airport. They could come in at any time.”
Butchart said the county airport handles an average of 36,000 to 38,000 flights a year. During the airshow, which ran Saturday and Sunday, commercial flights are still operating. The airshow stops whenever a scheduled flight arrives or departs.
In support of the airshow the county waves the landing fees for planes involved in the show which can range from $10 for a light aircraft to $2,000 for large planes.
“The fee is determined by the weight of the aircraft.”
He said this year the fees would not be as high as other years because there was only one heavy plane in this year’s show.
In addition to waving landing fees the county also approves a road closure bylaw during the two-day show for roads around the airport and provides staff on site to operate a refueling truck and other work associated with the show. Assistance is also provided with policing under the county’s enhanced policing contract.
Reeve Hickey said by providing the venue for the airshow the county is able to advertise the airport.
“It makes people more aware of the airport. It’s a good advertisement.”
He said the airshow is run by volunteers and any profits are donated to local community groups.
“A lot of people benefit from that.”