Pilot killed in crash identified as Capt. Thomas McQueen

The RCAF pilot killed in a training accident near Cold Lake, Alta. yesterday has been identified as Capt. Thomas McQueen of Hamilton, Ont.

McQueen’s single-seat CF-18 Hornet crashed in Saskatchewan yesterday morning near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

In a press conference this morning, Col. Paul Doyle of the Department of National Defence said McQueen had served in the Forces for 10 years, including a stint in the Middle East.

Doyle extended his condolences to the captain’s family, including McQueen’s fiancée who lives near Cold Lake.

Doyle said there will be an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

The crash comes a week after the federal government announced it would invest in new jets to replace Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18s.

 

Photo: Capt. McQueen poses in front of a CF-18 fighter jet in 2014, when he served as a Santa’s escort pilot. ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE/Cpl. Elena Vlassova