Organisers of the West Coast Air Show have identified the pilot who was involved in yesterday’s fatal crash as James O’Connell.

Spectators’ awe soon turned into horror after the Impala MK1 crashed shortly after doing an aerial roll, killing the pilot on impact.

In a press release, organisers said commentator Brian Emmenis, a well-known and respected presenter of such shows, witnessed the incident up close.

“He went into the dirty configuration, he rolled the aircraft. He was in a serious deep dive and went straight into the ground. There was no sign of any attempt to eject. The crowd remained behind the barriers, totally stunned,” said Emmenis.

Saldanha Airfield, West Coast, WC: aircraft crashes at airshow. pic.twitter.com/lfozOLS59N

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) March 22, 2025

Another witness gave his account of what happened in a chat group on a forum for flying enthusiasts.

He said he was taking photos from the front of the crowd and said a group of schoolboys were standing behind him watching the demonstration that looked like ‘a scene from a real-life hero movie’ with the Top Gun theme song playing in the background.

Also read: Watch: Impala crashes at West Coast Airshow

“Then the harsh and unforgiving real-world reality crushed the boyhood fantasy world. One of the boys broke down emotionally from witnessing such a violent and horrific event. I don’t wish that on any child.”

O’Connell was the chief flight instructor at the Test Flying Academy of South Africa and had 36 years of flying experience.

Organisers said that the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude during its final manoeuvre and crashed. No spectators were injured.

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the matter.

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