Cause Unclear In Masters Of Disaster Tragedy
Few details have been forthcoming so far regarding last week’s fatal “Masters of Disaster” air show crash, as Canada’s Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation. Bobby Younkin, 46, and Jimmy Franklin, 57, died in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on July 10 during a performance in front of 20,000 spectators, when their two aircraft collided in midair. Although the pilots have said that as much as 90 percent of their “Masters of Disaster” show is unchoreographed, Kyle Franklin, who has long participated in air shows with his father, told the Canadian Press last week that the accident occurred during a “planned maneuver” that the team had performed many times. “We’re still trying to figure out what happened,” he said. “I’m still trying to piece it together myself — what exactly went wrong.” Younkin’s son Matt said it’s unclear which airplane didn’t see the other one. “It was just one of those freak things. There’s nobody to blame, because it just happened,” he told The (Fayetteville) Morning News. Kyle added that he plans to continue flying. “It’s what I love. I have no intentions of really getting out of the air show business. It’s in my blood.” Canada’s Department of National Defence also is taking part in the probe because the crash happened at a military airport.
