A vintage combat jet flying at a South African airshow suddenly lost control and affected the ground on March 22, 2025, killing a highly skilled and respected veteran test pilot. The southwest of the country
Video footage taken at the scene shows aircraft lined up along the runway at the end of the flight display, lined up at the final flypust. Around the midway point of the runway, the aircraft appears to throw its nose slightly upwards before sending the aircraft into the dive as the wings marked on the left rings. Once the aircraft passes through the inverted position and passes 360 degrees, the pilot appears to temporarily regain some control before the aircraft affects the ground behind the hanger in a crash scene hidden from the crowd of spectators. You can see the black smoke of smoke rising from behind the hangar.
Note: The video below contains images that may cause some readers to feel distress.
There is also no clear indication that the aircraft's landing gear was attempting to eject the pilot from the aircraft when it lost control.
As reported by Sowetan's Live News Outlet, South African Air Show commentator Brian Emenis witnessed the event in real time. “He went into a dirty configuration and rolled the aircraft. The dirty configuration was when his underwear was expanded. He turned the aircraft. He went straight to the ground.
According to a statement issued by the airshow organizers, “O'Connell was running a routine display aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of Impala Mark One, a beloved warbird of deep historical significance for many South Africans. Upon piloting, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude and entered a sudden dive before making contact with the ground.”
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Air Show South Africa (ASSA) have been notified shortly after the accident and a full investigation is already underway to determine the possible causes of loss of control and subsequent fatal conflicts. SACAA said the Accidents and Incident Investigation Department (AIID) is actively working with event safety officials to collate preliminary information, and that a preliminary report on the accident will be issued for 30 days from the date of its occurrence.
Pilot James O'Connell was a respected and experienced test pilot with a 40-year career in the South African Air Force. He was also a test pilot for the South African Test Flying Academy (TFASA), which included 25 years of flight dedicated to experimental flight testing. O'Connell's achievements, with more than 4,000 flight times on the Rotary Wing and more than 1,600 hours on fixed-wing aircraft, included major tests on the South African Air Force A109 Luh helicopter fleet, spearheading the Oryx helicopter upgrades, according to an airshow statement.
In other career achievements, O'Connell has gained experience in Arctic and Antarctic businesses, advised flight test questions and established several respected positions at the Aviation Association. At the time of the accident, he was TFASA's Chief Flight Instructor.
The Impala Mark One, played by O'Connell, was designed by Italian aircraft company Aermacchi in 1954 and was originally designated as the MB-326. This type first flew in December 1957. The conventionally-looking MB-326 featured one Bristol Sidley Viper Turbo Jet Engine, a low straight wing engine, and was able to accommodate two crew members in a two-seat tandem configuration.
SAAF has acquired a total of 151 MB-326M aircraft. It became known locally as the Impala Mark One. Approximately 16 of these were manufactured in Italy or assembled in SA from Italian kits since 1966. The 151 aircraft balance was built locally in South Africa by Atlas Aircraft Corporation. From a performance standpoint, the Impala had a speed of up to 478 mph (770 kph) and ranged from 1,035 miles (1,665 km).
