CF-18 fighter jet crashes in Lethbridge
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A CF-18 fighter jet crashed at the Lethbridge Regional Airport on Friday. The pilot was injured in the crash, and was transported to Chinook Regional Hospital.
The pilot was able to pull his parachute and eject before the plane crashed.
The crash happened at 12:20pm on Friday afternoon. Emergency personnel, fire and police attended the scene and cordoned off the area.
The Department of National Defense and Department of Transportation was notified and both are investigating the cause of the crash.
"I can confirm a CF-18 Hornet has crashed during practice for the Lethbridge Air Show," said Capt. Nicole Meszaros, a CFB Cold Lake spokeswoman. "The pilot, we are very thankful to say, is OK. We believe at this point that his injuries are not life-threatening."
The pilot has been identified as Capt. Brian Bews, and according to Meszaros said he is attached to 3 Wing, from CFB Bagotville, in Quebec.
"Capt. Bews, like any of our F-18 pilots, is highly trained, highly skilled and highly capable,"said Capt. Holly Brown, a spokeswoman for 1 Canadian Air Division. "It's a long journey to become an F-18 pilot, and our demo pilots are exceptionally proven. It's an honour to be selected as a demo pilot.
The plane's crew is apparently based in Cold Lake, Alberta.
The Lethbridge airshow starts tomorrow, and will go ahead despite the crash.
Canada has lost 16 CF-18s, incurring eight pilot deaths as of 4 April 2009.
With files from Global News and Calgary Herald and the Edmonton Journal
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