A large crowd was horrified to watch on Saturday as a deadly tragedy unfolded in front of them and marred the entertainment event they had gathered to see.

A reportedly "highly-skilled" pilot was killed when the old military jet he was performing stunts in at an air show in South Africa crashed in front of onlookers, according to the U.K.'s Metro.

The unsurvivable incident was caught on video and is under investigation by the country's civil and military aviation authorities.

Air show marred by deadly plane crash

Hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators gathered together on Saturday afternoon in the South African town of Saldanha for the West Coast Air Show, during which they witnessed pilot James O'Connell's horrifying last moments as his out-of-control aircraft slam into the ground with a fiery explosion, according to Sky News.

"It is with profound sadness that the organisers of the West Coast Airshow confirm a fatal accident involving James O'Connell, a highly skilled and respected test pilot from South Africa," a statement about the incident revealed.

"Mr O'Connell was performing a routine display intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the Impala Mark 1 -- a beloved warbird with deep historical significance for many South Africans," the statement continued. "It was especially a huge moment because the Impala has not been seen performing at air shows for many years."

Initially designed in Italy in the 1950s as the Aermacchi MB-326, the straight-wing, two-seater, turbojet engine military aircraft was later acquired and manufactured in the 1960s by South Africa's Atlas Air Corporation, renamed as the Impala Mk-1, and served in the South African Air Force as a fighter-bomber from 1966 until it was retired in 2005.

Fatal accident caught on video

"The manoeuvres were being executed as part of the official air show programme, witnessed by thousands of spectators," the air show organizers said. "Eyewitness accounts report that the aircraft appeared to be under control during most of the display. However, during one of the final manoeuvres, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and entered a steep dive before making contact with the ground."

 

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As can be seen in a video clip of the crash, the aircraft was observed flying straight until it suddenly began a slow barrel roll that it never fully recovered from, which altered its trajectory and ended with the plane slamming into the ground, after which an explosion and large plume of black smoke arose from the crash site.

There was no evidence that the pilot, O'Connell, attempted to eject from the aircraft before it hit the ground, according to the organizers, who added, "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with James's family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this very tragic event."

Former military pilot had thousands of hours of experience

According to the Metro, first responders arrived at the crash site in mere moments but were unable to make any real attempt to rescue the pilot as the wrecked aircraft was "engulfed in flames."

The fatal incident is now being investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority and the SAAF's accident unit.

Per the air show organizers, O'Connell was a decorated retired SAAF officer who had reportedly logged more than 4,000 hours of experience in rotary-wing aircraft and around 1,600 hours of experience in fixed-wing aircraft.