ONTARIO, Canada (Reuters) — A Canadian CF-18 fighter pilot was killed on Monday (November 28) when his single-seat jet crashed in a training area near Cold Lake, Alberta, the country’s military said.
Canada’s Minister of National Defense, Harjit Sajjan, said the military is investigating the cause.
“The department and the Air Force are on scene, and they’re going to allow them the space to be able to do their work to find out what has happened. But right now, the focus is to the families,” he told reporters during a news briefing.
In a statement, the department said the name of the pilot will not be released until the next of kin are notified.
In a tweet, the Royal Canadian Air Force called the crash an accident, but did not elaborate. Officials said there were no other casualties.
The incident happened near the community of Cold Lake, which is close to the neighboring province of Saskatchewan and is home to 4 Wing Cold Lake, the busiest fighter base in Canada, according to the defense department.
The pilot involved was from 4 Wing and crashed his CF-188 Hornet at about 11 a.m. in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan, said the public affairs officer for the base.
A spokeswoman said helicopters were dispatched following the incident. The base, used to train Canada’s fighter pilots, attracts international crews to its annual air combat exercise, Maple Flag, according to the department.
In July, a plane crashed in Cold Lake during a military air show, killing the pilot.