A tragic incident unfolded at the West Coast Air Show in Saldanha Bay on Saturday afternoon when a pilot lost his life after his aircraft crashed and erupted into flames.
Videos circulating on social media show the plane, believed to be an Impala Mk1, performing an ascent before spiraling mid-air and plummeting to the ground. Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames, leaving spectators in shock.
Elowayne Gouws, director of West Coast Medical Rescue, confirmed that the crash occurred shortly after 15:00.
“The Impala jet hit the ground,” said Gouws. “The pilot died on impact. West Coast Medical Rescue arrived within two minutes and found the wreckage engulfed in flames.”
The West Coast Air Show, which was scheduled to take place over the weekend of 21-22 March at the Saldanha/Vredenburg Airport, attracted aviation enthusiasts from across the country.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, and further details regarding the pilot and aircraft will be released in due course.
This is a developing story.
In South Africa, a pilot lost his life when his aircraft crashed during the West Coast Air Show in Saldanha Bay this afternoon. Videos online show the plane climbing, spinning mid-air, and then crashing in a fiery explosion.pic.twitter.com/BFtoyoPIoI
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) March 22, 2025
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