Video shows 'highly skilled' pilot's final moments before fatal air show crash

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A "highly skilled" pilot’s last moments were captured connected video earlier helium died successful a clang astatine an aerial amusement successful South Africa implicit the weekend.

The fatal incidental involving James O’Connell unfolded Saturday astatine the Saldanha Bay Airfield extracurricular of Cape Town. Footage showed a level performing an aerial maneuver earlier crashing into the ground, generating a fireball and drafting screams from those successful attendance.

"It is with profound sadness that the organizers of the West Coast Airshow corroborate a fatal mishap involving James O’Connell, a highly skilled and respected trial aviator from South Africa, erstwhile helium piloted the Impala Mark 1 craft during today’s show successful Saldanha," the event’s organizers said successful a statement.

"Mr. O’Connell was performing a regular show intended to show the capabilities of the Impala Mark 1 – a beloved warbird with heavy humanities value for galore South Africans – it was particularly a immense infinitesimal due to the fact that the Impala has not been seen performing astatine airshows for galore years," they added. "The maneuvers were being executed arsenic portion of the authoritative airshow program, witnessed by thousands of spectators."

DELTA PLANE’S LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING TORONTO CRASH-LANDING, INVESTIGATORS SAY

A level flown by James O’Connell is seen moments earlier crashing connected Saturday successful South Africa during an airshow. (Maritha Wagner/TMX)

Video of the incidental showed a unreality of achromatic fume rising up into the entity pursuing the crash.

"He rolled the aircraft... helium turned the aircraft, the undercarriage was up. On coming retired of it, 1 could intelligibly spot that helium was losing height," airshow commentator Brian Emmenis was quoted by the organizers arsenic saying. "He went retired toward the hangars – helium was astatine that signifier successful a superior heavy dive – and helium went consecutive into the ground. There was nary motion of an effort to eject."

ALASKA PLANE THAT CRASHED AND LEFT 10 DEAD WAS MORE THAN 1,000 POUNDS OVER THE WEIGHT LIMIT, NTSB FINDS

A fireball is seen astatine the Saldanha Bay Airfield north of Cape Town connected Saturday, March 22, arsenic the level crashed. (Maritha Wagner/TMX)

"Emergency services responded immediately, the assemblage remained down the barriers, wholly stunned, and aesculapian attraction was handed to the crowd," helium added.

No spectators were injured successful the crash, and the South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Show South Africa are present investigating.