Q&A: Snowbirds pilot reflects on 2 years since Kamloops crash

For Capt. Richard MacDougall, one goal is always firmly in his sights.

He intends to climb back into the pilot's seat of a CF-114 Tutor aircraft again and soar with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

MacDougall, originally from Dieppe, N.B., crashed while performing a flyover as part of the Operation Inspiration  demonstration in Kamloops, B.C., on May 17, 2020. The event was meant to raise the spirits of Canadians during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He and his passenger, Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer for the Snowbirds, ejected from the plane after a bird strike caused an engine compressor failure. Casey died and MacDougall suffered significant injuries after crash landing on the roof of a house.

Now MacDougall is back with the Snowbirds, and while he's not in the air yet, he travels with the aerobatics team as the show's narrator, also known as Snowbird 11, at events across the country this year.

The team was scheduled to perform in Moncton on Wednesday, but a technical issue with a tool that sets the timing for parachutes during ejection has grounded the planes.

MacDougall spoke with Vanessa Blanch of Information Morning Moncton about the crash, his recovery and the future.

The following has been edited for length and clarity

Vanessa Blanch: How are you doing now? 

Rich MacDougall: I'm doing well. I'm doing better every day. It's been two years now and the recovery trajectory has always been up. I'm just very fortunate to be in the physical condition that I am right now and to be able to join the team on the road as Snowbird 11 this year.

Vanessa Blanch: What was the extent of your injuries? 

Rich MacDougall: I broke a few vertebrae in my back. I broke bones in both feet which required a cast and a brace. I needed to stay in bed basically for two months and transition to wheelchair and to a walker and crutches. Now I barely need the cane anymore. I'm walking just about as normal as anyone else. 

Vanessa Blanch: What do you remember from that accident?

Rich MacDougall: I do remember everything after having landed on that roof. I do remember being conscious for the whole rest of that process. That's certainly an experience I will never forget. The support in Kamloops was absolutely unreal. I really can't even put into words how amazing the support was from the community. The fence line of the airport was just completely covered in signs of support. 

Vanessa Blanch: What did that mean to you at the time? 

Rich MacDougall: It meant everything. I really feel like I saw everyone's biggest heart. Everyone just turned on their most smiley, positive face.

Vanessa Blanch: Have you been back since?

Rich MacDougall: I went back in May for a couple of days and visited the hospital. I was able to visit Kamloops Fire and Rescue, was able to shake the hand of the person who pulled me off the roof. And I was able to walk through the neighbourhood where the aircraft went [down]. It was important for me to do that. 

Vanessa Blanch: Do you think that you will ever fly a plane again? 

Rich MacDougall: Oh, 100 per cent. That's my goal. That's absolutely what I'd like to do. 

Vanessa Blanch: What needs to happen for you to reach that goal? 

Rich MacDougall: Right now it's all pending on the medical side of things. I'm hoping sometime in the next year I'll get word on what that flying medical category will look like.

Vanessa Blanch: Did you have any moments where you thought, 'I don't want to do that again.' 

Rich MacDougall: I think when you go through something like that, you have all of those emotions and all of those thoughts. I think that's completely normal.

Vanessa Blanch: So earlier on, you might not have been up for piloting a plane again? 

Rich MacDougall: I think that part never went away. That's what I've wanted to do since I was like six years old. Flying was never off the table. 

Vanessa Blanch: In the meantime, you're a narrator with the Snowbirds. What's involved in doing that job? 

Rich MacDougall: The narrating is great. I like interacting with the public and I like music. That's a part of it. You can control and help DJ the show and cue certain songs, or parts of songs, at the right time to create a certain effect. That's all stuff that I enjoy very much. 

Vanessa Blanch: How does your crew remember Capt. Casey?

Rich MacDougall: We loved her. We miss her dearly. And I think everything we do from here on in, we just take a bit of Jenn with us.