Jet plane crashes at South African air show

Preliminary, the pilot lost control of the aircraft while performing aerobatics.

A turbojet aircraft "Aermacchi MB-326" crashed during the West Coast Air Show in South Africa. According to media reports, the pilot James O'Connell did not have time to eject and died. The plane crash occurred on Saturday afternoon in the municipality of Saldanha Dei. More than 2,000 people attended the air show. Fortunately, none of them were injured.

The media notes that the plane crash occurred after the pilot performed an aerobatics figure. According to eyewitnesses, O'Connell showed most of his program, but something went wrong during the last turns. It is assumed that he was unable to cope with the controls and gain altitude, after which the aircraft crashed to the ground and exploded.

The show was stopped immediately after the tragedy. The organizers of the air show expressed condolences to the family of the deceased pilot. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Air Show South Africa (ASSA) have been notified of the incident and will be investigating.