Shortly after 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, on November 28, 2016, a CF-188 Hornet from 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, crashed inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan, not far from the Primrose Lake Evaluation Range.
Emergency services from 4 Wing, including 417 Combat Support Squadron, responded to the crash. Tragically, the pilot, Captain Thomas McQueen of Hamilton, Ontario, did not survive.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident and express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of Captain Thomas McQueen,” said Colonel Paul Doyle, the commander 4 Wing / Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake.”We now turn our attention to providing whatever support we can to his family and to our men and women here in Cold Lake, who are deeply saddened by the loss of Captain McQueen.”
The thoughts and prayers of 4 Wing, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Armed Forces are with the family, loved ones and friends of Captain McQueen during this difficult time.
“On behalf of the men and women of 1 Canadian Air Division, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Captain McQueen,” said Brigadier-General David Lowthian, the acting commander of 1 Canadian Air Division. “The Royal Canadian Air Force is a tight-knit community and we are all mourning the loss of one of our own today.”
"We have lost a member of our RCAF family, and it hurts,” said the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieutenant-General Mike Hood. “We will support the family of Captain McQueen, and his squadron, to the fullest. And while the investigation determines the cause of this incident, I commend our men and women who through their grief will continue to serve Canada to their fullest.
“Thomas, we will miss you."
A flight safety investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the accident.
