A Canadian Forces Snowbird pilot has died after his plane slammed into the ground in Malmstrom, Montana, during a rehearsal for two air shows this weekend.

The pilot has been identified as Capt. Shawn McCaughey, 31, from Candiac, Quebec.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the death in a statement Friday evening. It marks the sixth Snowbird pilot killed in an air crash since 1972.

FAA spokesperson Allen Kenitzer said McCaughey's plane was flying in formation and "for some reason shortly thereafter pitched down and crashed."

McCaughey had more than 1,400 hour of military flying time prior to performing with the 2007 Snowbirds team, according to the Snowbirds' website.

He also held a civilian commercial pilot's license, and was a flying instructor at the Snowbirds' base in Moose Jaw, Sask. He taught pilots how to fly the CT-156 Harvard II, the NATO Flying Training in Canada Program's new training aircraft.

He was the first Snowbird pilot to have no previous experience on the CT-114 Tutor jet, an aircraft designed in Canada and used by the team since 1971.

Lieut. Jeff Noel, a spokesman for 15 Wing Moose Jaw, said all the members flying on Friday were team veterans.

"They did recently accept three new pilots into the program but those pilots won't be flying with the program until next year," he said.

The jet was flying in formation with five other planes from Canada's renowned aerobatics team.

According to witness Gregg Dart, whose 11-year-old son also saw the crash, the plane went straight into the ground at about 4 p.m. at the south-end of the base.

"There were a number of planes flying in formation, and had they just completed a heart-shaped figure in the sky," he told CTV Newsnet.

"It looked like they were getting ready to disassemble. We saw three planes do a little loop and it almost looked like they were coming right at us. The two lead planes split, and the third plane looked like it reared up a little bit and then just plummeted straight into the ground."

Dart said he could feel the force of the impact.

The team was preparing to perform Saturday and Sunday in Great Falls, Mont. at Malmstrom's Open House and Sport Auto-Rama.

The last Snowbird plane crash happened on Aug. 24, 2005 in Thunder Bay, Ont., but Capt. Andrew Mackay ejected from the jet in time and wasn't hurt.

The jets have a top speed of 750 kilometres per hour with their signature smoke tanks attached, and weigh 7,170 pounds.

With files from The Canadian Press