A federal institution will be involved in investigating a fatal accident near Westwold, between Vernon and Kamloops, that killed a Canadian hip-hop artist Saturday.
Transport Canada will look into the incident that killed Jon James McMurray, 33, born in Calgary, who died, according to a GoFundMe campaign page, performing an airplane stunt.
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“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,” said spokesperson Marie-Anyk Coté. “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.”
According to the GoFundMe campaign page, McMurray had been “filming a project he had been passionately working on for months. He died performing an airplane stunt that included rapping while walking on the wing of the plane.
“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. 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.”
McMurray was a world-renowned professional skier with multiple world firsts under his belt.
He was the first skier ever to backflip onto and off of a rail in addition to garnering a reputation known as one of the most innovative and well-respected skiers in the world.
After sustaining multiple injuries including a broken back and shattered heel, McMurray decided to pursue his growing passion for music.
He poured his ambition for life into his music and relentlessly worked toward advancement in the music industry. McMurray earned his way onto the stage and loved to perform at large events like Kelowna’s Center of Gravity alongside some of the biggest names in hip-hop.
As of Wednesday, the GoFundMe campaign had raised $2,960.
The money is to be used for a celebration of life for McMurray, and the rest “completely dedicated to the production of Jon’s music and video content specifically to be made into series.”
McMurray is survived by his wife, Kali, father, mother and brother.
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