Pilot killed in CF-188 crash was from Hamilton

The Royal Canadian Air Force pilot killed in yesterday’s crash has been identified as Captain Thomas McQueen of Hamilton.

McQueen was on a training mission when his single-seat CF-188 Hornet crashed inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan shortly after 11 a.m.

In a post on Facebook, Lieutenant-General Mike Hood said, “‎We have lost a member of our RCAF family, and it hurts. 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.”

McQueen was engaged to be married and his fiancee lives in the Cold Lake area.

We mourn the loss of #RCAF pilot Captain Thomas McQueen of Hamilton, Ontario, killed in yesterday’s CF-188 crash: https://t.co/A7nDgIVWaI pic.twitter.com/9YwA1Msqql

— RCAF (@RCAF_ARC) November 29, 2016

Captain Thomas McQueen of the @RCAF_ARC died serving Canadians – we will honour & remember his sacrifice: https://t.co/dqNoFqIqjJ

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 29, 2016

While his immediate family weren’t available for comment it didn’t take much to run into people in Fisherville who knew McQueen very well.