A tragic incident unfolded at a South African air show on Saturday, as a seasoned pilot lost his life in a shocking crash that left thousands of spectators in disbelief. The pilot, identified as James O’Connell, was performing a series of maneuvers in an Impala Mark 1 aircraft when he suddenly lost altitude and spiraled into a grassy area, according to a statement from the West Coast Saldanha Bay Air Show.
O’Connell, a test pilot, was in the midst of a deep dive when his plane plummeted straight into the ground. Brian Emmenis, an air show commentator, noted that there was no indication of an attempt to eject from the aircraft. The stunned crowd remained behind the barriers, watching in horror as the scene unfolded.
Emergency services quickly arrived at the crash site, where no injuries on the ground were reported. The wreckage of the warbird was found “engulfed in flames,” according to Elowayne Gouws, director of West Coast Medical Rescue. O’Connell was pronounced dead at the scene.
Footage of the incident showed the plane rotating mid-air before it suddenly lost altitude and plunged nearly straight down. A thick plume of smoke marked the spot where the aircraft crashed. The crowd gasped and let out terrified shrieks as a public announcer tried to maintain calm among the spectators.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority and Air Show South Africa. O’Connell was remembered by air show officials as a “highly skilled and respected” pilot.
The air show released a statement expressing their deepest condolences to O’Connell’s family, friends, and aviation colleagues. They also stated that no further details about the incident would be released until the investigation is concluded.