Tragedy struck during an air show in Saldanha, South Africa, on March 22, 2025, when veteran test pilot James O’Connell tragically lost his life in a plane crash. O’Connell, piloting an Impala Mark 1 aircraft, was performing a final maneuver when he unexpectedly lost altitude and crashed, leading to his immediate death. Spectators, who had been watching the show, were left horrified as they witnessed the fatal incident unfold. Emergency crews quickly responded, but O’Connell was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, but no spectators were injured.
