Tributes have been pouring in for highly respected South African test pilot James O’Connell who died on Saturday 22 March after a dramatic crash at the West Coast Air Show in Saldanha Bay.

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

According to an official statement by the organisers, a sudden loss of altitude during O’Connell’s final manoeuvre led to the devastating crash.

Emergency services responded immediately. No spectators were injured.

Airshow commentator Brian Emmenis, who witnessed the incident up close, shared:

“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. 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.”

Footage of the crash was widely shared on social media.

Air Show South Africa (ASSA) and the Civil Aviation Authority are conducting a full investigation.

Organisers have expressed their thoughts and deepest sympathies with James’s family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this tragic event.

Many spectators also requested the organisers to convey their condolences to James’s family.

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).