Friend recalls final moments of South African pilot before air show crash

Spectators have shared their shock and horror as they watched a decorated South African Air Force pilot crash to his death at a local air show, while they recalled his final moments.

James O'Connell died after the plane he was flying crashed during a performance at the West Coast Air Show held in Saldanha, 112 km (70 miles) north of Cape Town, over the weekend.

According to organisers, Mr O'Connell was performing a "routine display" on a retired military aircraft when it "experienced a sudden loss of altitude and entered a steep dive".

An investigation into the accident is currently underway as tributes pour in for the seasoned former Air Force pilot.

Mr O'Connell's crash was captured by numerous videos and images which have since been shared widely on social media.

In one, the 68-year-old aircraft, an Impala Mark 1, can be seen flying upside-down before returning to its original position and then nose-diving to the ground.

A huge cloud of smoke and fire can then be seen as it crashes to the ground, while gasps of shock can be heard from the watching crowd.

Air show commentator Brian Emmenis, who was present at the show and provided running commentary on Mr O'Connell's performance, can then be heard urging the stunned crowd to "stay calm and remain where you are".

Speaking to the BBC two days after the horrific crash, Mr Emmenis shared his final exchange with the decorated pilot.

Mr Emmenis said he had known Mr O'Connell from the latter's time as a test pilot at the South African Air Force.

According to him, Mr O'Connell worked at the Air Force for nearly three decades before moving to the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), where he worked as chief flight instructor and was head of the test pilot school. The academy confirmed the Impala was one of its display aircraft.

"James O'Connell was an incredible test pilot... a very popular guy [and] a thorough professional but also a great friend and good guy to work with," he told the BBC on Monday.

Mr Emmenis said the pair spoke about Mr O'Connell's upcoming performance before he took off.

Mr O'Connell at this point was "in a good frame of mind", he noted.

"As he taxied past... my words [to him] were: 'Have a good [display] my friend' and he [replied]: 'Thanks'."

Mr Emmenis later explained in a statement released by West Coast Air Show organisers that Mr O'Connell had gone into a "dirty configuration" – described as a move where the undercarriage is extended - where he turned the aircraft over and "the undercarriage was down".

"But when he turned, I could see that the aircraft was in a nose-down attitude and that concerned me. I stopped talking and I looked because I thought: 'Wow, he's low and diving down to the ground' and sadly, that's exactly what happened. And I waited and suddenly saw the flame, I never heard the impact, I was too far away but I saw this huge [flame]."

The seasoned commentator described the shock and devastation felt across the aviation industry at the news of Mr O'Connell's death.

"South Africa is devastated. In fact, not only South Africa - I've been getting calls from all over [the world]. Aviation is a small world and it's a band of brothers …especially [in] air show flying because usually it's the best of the best that get chosen to go do these displays."

While it is too early to speculate on what exactly went wrong, he reasoned that as a "highly qualified test pilot", Mr O'Connell would not have attempted anything he didn't think he could manage.

"I don't think anybody would do a manoeuvre like that if you didn't know what it's about," he said.

Clive Coetzee, organiser of the West Coast Air Show, said that he was "deeply saddened by the event" and spoke of the shocking effect it had, not only on attendees, but other participants.

Among them was a young pilot who was set to do his first show that same day but pulled out when he witnessed Mr O'Connell's crash.

And while Mr Coetzee only met Mr O'Connell on the day of the fateful accident, he described him as a "funny guy" and "very nice" based on their final chat.

Both men declined to comment on the Impala's track record, but Mr Emmenis said: "It was kept in immaculate condition and when the test flight school took it, they stripped it down and checked for any faults. So there was nothing wrong with it, it was absolutely perfect."

The Impala is a retired Air Force aircraft that first took to the skies in 1957.

Leading tributes for Mr O'Connell was the TFASA, which described him as a "true aviation legend" with 36 years flying experience.

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