Last moments of South African pilot James O’Connell before the crash

Viewers shared their shock and horror as they watched a decorated pilot crash of the South African Air Force until his death at a local air show, while recalling his last moments.

James O’Connell died after the plane that was flying, crashed during a performance at the west coast, held in a saldan, 112 km (70 miles) north of Caeptown, over the weekend.

According to the organizers, O’Connell has carried out “routine displays” on a retired military aircraft when he “survived a sudden loss at altitude and entered a steep diving.”

An investigation into the accident is currently underway as the stands are poured as an experienced former Air Force pilot.

The catastrophe of G -N’Connell has been filmed by numerous videos and images that have since been widely shared on social media.

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

You can then see a huge cloud of smoke and fire when it crashes to the ground, while the observation can be heard shock.

Air Show commentator Brian Emeryis, who attended the show and made a comment on the presentation of G -n O’Connell, then can be heard, calling for the stunned crowd to “stay calm and stay where you are.”

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

Emmenis said he knew G -N’Connell from the latter as a test pilot in South Africa Air Force.

According to him, G -n O’Connell worked at the Air Force nearly three decades before moving to the test flying Academy in South Africa (TFASA), where he worked as chief flight instructor and was the head of the test school for a test. The Academy has confirmed that Impala is one of its planes.

“James O’Connell was an incredible test pilot … A very popular person (s) a deep professional, but also a great friend and a good person to work with,” he told the BBC on Monday.

Emmenis said the couple was talking about the forthcoming performance of G -N’Connell before leaking.

At that moment, G -n O’Connell was “in a good frame of mind,” he noted.

“While he was taxing the past … my words (to him) were,” Have a good (display) friend “and he (answered):” Thank you. “

Later, Emmenis explained in a statement published by the organizers of Air Show West Coast that G -N’Connell has entered the “dirty configuration” -described as a move where the income is expanded -where he turned the airplane and “arrangement is removed”.

“But when he turned, I saw that the plane was in the regard of the nose and it concerned me. I stopped talking and looking at because I thought,” Aunt, he is low and dives on the ground “and unfortunately that this happened. And I saw the flame, I never heard it, I saw it too much.

The forged commentator described the shock and devastation that feels in the aviation industry in the news of the death of G -n -O’Connell.

“South Africa is devastated. Not just South Africa -I get calls from the whole (the world). Aviation is a small world and this is a group of brothers … especially (in) an air show, because it is usually the best of the best to go to make these displays.”

Although it is too early to speculate what exactly went wrong, he reasoned that as a “highly qualified test pilot”, G -n -O’Connell would not have tried not to think that he did not think he could handle it.

“I don’t think anyone would make a maneuver if you didn’t know what it was about,” he said.

Clive Coetzee, the organizer of the West Coast Air exhibition, said he was “deeply saddened by the event” and talks about the shocking effect he had, not only on those present but also for other participants.

Among them was a young pilot who was ready to make his first show the same day, but withdrew when he witnessed the crash of G -N O’Connell.

And while G -n Coetzee met only with the d -o’Connell on the day of fate, he described it as a “funny man” and “very nice” based on their last chat.

Both men refused to comment on Impala’s records, but D -n -Emeryis said, “He was held in impeccable condition and when the test school took him, they undressed and checked him for some mistakes. So there was nothing wrong with that, it was absolutely perfect.”

Impala is a retired Air Force aircraft, which for the first time undertook the sky in 1957.

Leading tribute to G -n O’Connell was TFASA, who described it as a “true aviation legend” with 36 years of flying experience.