Horrifying moment plane corkscrews and nosedives into the sea at high speed during airshow as pilot feared dead
THIS is the terrifying moment a plane corkscrews into the sea leaving the pilot feared dead.
Footage filmed by a witness from a nearby beach in Durban, South Africa, shows the moment the ZS-AEC Extra 300 aircraft plummets out of the sky on August 14.
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Footage showed the plane spiralling down near the beach
Credit: Newsflash
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It crashed into the sea
Credit: Newsflash
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Pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray is missing
Credit: Newsflash
It shows the plane climbing and then banking before plunging into the waves just metres from the shore.
Veteran pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray, 61, was reportedly taking part in an airshow when the crash occurred.
Rescue teams were immediately alerted by beachgoers who saw the plane fall from the sky.
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Parts of the wreckage have since been recovered, but the body of the pilot has not yet been found.
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Authorities have confirmed that the search is now a recovery mission rather than a rescue, and it is widely believed that Blackwood-Murray did not survive the crash.
Officials have temporarily closed the beach to the public, urging residents and visitors to avoid the area while recovery operations remain underway.
Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson Sisa Majola confirmed that the crash happened during the aircraft's final display at the beachfront airshow shortly before 2pm.
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Tributes have poured in for Blackwood-Murray, described as a world-class pilot and a true gentleman within the aviation community.
His wife Kyla paid an emotional tribute on Facebook, writing: "It was the call I have been dreading my whole life.
"But I always said I would rather he go doing the things he loves the most. I just didn't realise he would have left so soon.
'He was my world. We did everything together and we had so many plans. We were going to grow old and be the most awesome geriatrics together.
"He has taken away the biggest piece of my soul and I don't know how I am going to live without my wingman.
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"He brought me more joy than I ever imagined possible. He was always there for me helping me become the best version of myself.
"I am beyond heartbroken."
The search is ongoing.
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South African pilot Andrew and wife pose in undated photo
Credit: Newsflash
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Andrew is feared dead after the crash
Credit: Newsflash
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Horrifying moment plane corkscrews and nosedives into the sea at high speed during airshow as pilot feared dead
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Graffiti on the front door of the 'haunted house' in the Hollywood estate off Blarney Road in the north side of Cork City. File picture: Cillian Kelly He is keen to point out that these spirits are worlds apart from their depictions in films and television shows. 'It really annoys me the way Hollywood and the media paint spirits in a negative light. They are not evil or even bad. Most of the time they are just looking for help. Spirits come under a couple of different categories. "Sometimes when they die suddenly, they don't realise they're dead and remain landlocked. Other times they might have an attachment to a place like a farm or land they don't want to let go of. You get some who have a guilt complex where they are afraid to cross over. "There are also spirits with attachments. These are cases of true love where one doesn't want to go without the other. There are so many different reasons why people might become landlocked. 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