Probe after test pilot's death in Airshow

TRIBUTES have poured in for seasoned and respected South African test pilot James O’ Connell, who died in a crash while performing a routine display at Saldanha Airfield at the West Coast Airshow on Saturday.

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

In a statement widely shared, West Coast Airshow Accident Report said it was believed O'Connell, who had more than 36 years of aviation experience under his belt, had lost altitude of the Impala Mark 1 aircraft, but the cause of the crash is now part of a formal investigation.

"Eyewitness accounts report that the aircraft appeared to be under control during most of the display. However, during one of the final maneuvers, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and entered a steep dive before making contact with the ground," they said.

Airshow commentator, Brian Emmenis, who witnessed the event in real-time, explained what he had seen.