A tour meant to raise people's spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic, turned to tragedy yesterday (Sunday, May 17) when one of its planes crashed, killing one member and seriously injuring another.

The Snowbirds jet crashed shortly after takeoff and burst into flames on the front yard of a house in Kamloops, B.C., claiming the life of a public affairs officer with the Snowbirds, Capt. Jenn Casey.

Capt. Casey is from Halifax and joined Canada's Armed Forces back in 2014 after working as a journalist for several years. 

The plane's pilot Captain Richard MacDougall was also seriously injured in yesterday's crash. Captain MacDougall's injuries are considered to be serious but are not believed to be life-threatening.