Acrobatic Jet in 'Pandemic Show' Crashes Into House

A Canadian Armed Forces Snowbird plane participating in a cross-country tour aimed at boosting the morale of Canadians dealing with the pandemic crashed Sunday in a residential neighborhood, sending people pouring onto the street where they said debris was scattered and a house was on fire, the AP reports. Canada's defense department said emergency crews were responding to the crash at the airport in the city of Kamloops in British Columbia. The Snowbirds are Canada’s equivalent of the US Navy's Blue Angels. British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix said one person was in hospital after paramedics and air ambulances responded to the crash.

Video posted to Twitter by 6:10am in Kamloops appears to show two Snowbirds taking off from what is believed to have been Kamloops Airport (see it at TMZ). One of the aircraft subsequently climbed into the sky before rolling over and plunging to the ground. The video appears to show at least one person ejecting from the plane before it disappears behind a stand of trees and an explosion is heard. "Our number one priority at this time is determining the status of our personnel, the community and supporting emergency personnel," said a defense official. "When appropriate, more information will be made available." Operation Inspiration started in Nova Scotia earlier this month and features the team’s signature nine-jet formation. It was aimed at boosting morale amid the pandemic.

(More plane crash stories.)