A pilot was killed after his plane crashed in front of a live audience during an air show in South Africa.
James O’Connell was performing at the West Coast Air Show in Saldanha in front of thousands of spectators on Saturday, March 22, when the crash occurred, according to a statement from air show officials.
“It is with profound sadness that the organisers of the West Coast Airshow confirm a fatal accident involving James O’Connell, a highly skilled and respected test pilot from South Africa, when he piloted the Impala Mark 1 aircraft during today’s display in Saldanha,” the statement began.
“Despite the aircraft appearing stable through most of the performance, a sudden loss of altitude during the final [maneuver] led to a devastating crash,” the statement continued.
Emergency services responded immediately and no spectators were injured, per the official statement.
Air show officials also shared that show commentator Brian Emmenis — who “witnessed the incident up close” — said, “He [O’Connell] went into the [landing] configuration, he rolled the aircraft … he was in a serious deep dive and went straight into the ground.”
Organisers said there was no sign the pilot made an attempt to eject.
