Transport Canada has joined the long list of agencies investigating an aerial stunt gone wrong that killed a Canadian-born “stunt rapper.” Jon James McMurray, fell to his death in a farmer’s field in the rural community of Westwold Oct. 20 while shooting a music video. Two aircraft were involved in the shoot and the Cessna that McMurray was in (or on) apparently fell into a spin while the rapper manoeuvred himself onto the wing of the aircraft. McMurray was wearing a parachute but it didn’t deploy. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shoot had been planned for months, according to the narrative posted on a GoFundMe page that is raising money for a celebration of life and to help his family.
“He had trained intensely for this stunt but as Jon got further out onto the wing of the plane, it caused the small Cessna to go into a downward spiral that the pilot couldn’t correct,” the narrative says. “Jon held onto the wing until it was too late, and by the time he let go, he didn’t have time to pull his chute. He impacted and died instantly.”
Transport Canada joins the B.C. Coroners Office, the Transportation Safety Board and the RCMP in trying to figure out what happened, although the apparent existence of multi-angle professional video should help a lot. TC is, of course, focused on the regs. “Transport Canada’s role is to oversee the operation of aircraft associated with parachuting and to ensure that aircraft owners and operators are compliant with the Canadian Aviation Regulations and their standards,” spokeswoman Marie-Anyk Coté told the Vernon Morning Star. “The regulations pertain to pilot licensing, aircraft maintenance, and passenger carriage. Transport Canada will be following up with the aircraft operator to determine that they were in compliance with these regulations.”