Tributes flood in for pilot killed at Saldanha airshow

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Tributes have poured in for veteran South African test pilot James O’Connell who died on Saturday after a dramatic crash at the West Coast Air Show in Saldanha Bay.

NOTE: This article may upset sensitive readers

O’Connell was performing a routine display intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the Impala Mark 1, which had not been seen performing at airshows for many years.

According to a statement by the organisers, a sudden loss of altitude during the final manoeuvre led to the devastating crash.

‘Dirty configuration’

“He went into the dirty configuration, he rolled the aircraft – the dirty configuration is when the undercarriage is extended – he turned the aircraft, the undercarriage was up,” said airshow commentator Brian Emmenis, who witnessed the incident.

“On coming out of it, one could clearly see that he was losing height. He went out towards the hangars- he was at that stage in a serious deep dive-and he went straight into the ground.

“There was no sign of an attempt to eject.

“Emergency services responded immediately, the crowd remained behind the barriers, totally stunned, and medical attention was handed to the crowd,” said Emmenis.

A full investigation by Airshow South Africa (ASSA) and the Civil Aviation Authority is now underway.

O’Connell had 36 years of flying experience, including 25 dedicated to experimental flight testing.

His achievements include leading testing for the South African Air Force A109 LUH helicopter and spearheading the Oryx helicopter upgrade.

He served as the Chief Flight Instructor for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA).

The South African website extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of James O’Connell.