Tragedy Strikes at West Coast Airshow, Pilot Dies After Impala Aircraft Crashes During Performance
- A pilot was killed when his plane crashed during a live performance at the West Coast Airshow in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape
- Videos of the tragic crash on Saturday, 22 March 2025, soon went viral on social media
- The crash site has been cordoned off as investigations into the tragedy are underway
Source: Facebook
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE – Tragedy struck at the West Coast Airshow on Saturday, 22 March 2025, when a pilot was killed.
The pilot was tragically killed when his aircraft crashed during the airshow at the Saldanha Airfield in Saldanha Bay.
The West Coast Airshow took place at the Saldanha/Vredenburg Airport on 21 and 22 March.
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Pilot died on impact at the airshow
According to Elowayne Gouws, West Coast Medical Rescue director, the incident occurred shortly after 3 pm on the 22nd.
"The Impala jet hit the ground. The pilot died on impact. West Coast Medical Rescue arrived within two minutes and found the wreckage engulfed in flames," Gouws said.
Before the crash, social media videos showed the plane rising and spinning in mid-air before plummeting to the ground. It then erupted into flames. In the video, thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the crash site.
Onlookers said that the pilot appeared to be in control of the aircraft for most of the performance, except for the last manoeuvre when he lost altitude.
You can watch the video here.
Source: Facebook
Accident and Incident Investigations Division confirms fatality
The Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) stated that the pilot had crashed, saying that investigations were underway. This was confirmed by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACCA) Head of Communication, Sisa Majola.
“There is one confirmed fatality; a pilot on board an Impala aircraft (Registration: ZU-IMP). The AIID is working with the event safety officers to collate preliminary information,” Majola said.
The site has been cordoned off as investigations get underway.
“The AIID will provide a public update from the scene should this be deemed necessary,” Majola added.
Thankfully aircraft crashes are few and far between in the country. There was almost another tragic incident on 1 February 2025 when a FlySAfair pilot fell ill mid-flight, but thankfully, a passenger onboard was able to land the plane safely.
Another incident was reported where a light aircraft with a single occupant inside crashed in Limpopo after departing from Mpumalanga.
Pilot identified as James O’Connell
Organisers of the show later identified the deceased as respected test pilot James O’Connell.
O'Connell had a 40-year career with the SA Air Force and was performing a routine display with his Impala Mark 1, which had not been seen performing at air shows for years.
He also had over 25 years of experience dedicated to experimental flight testing.
Police plane crashes killing five people
In another aircraft-related accident, five people were killed when an aircraft crashed in Germiston on 30 August 2022.
Briefly News reported that a South African Police Service fixed-wing aircraft crashed after taking off at the Rand Airport in Germiston.
The pilot was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but five people, all of whom were passengers, were killed in the tragedy.
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Source: Briefly News
