Thunder City jet crash

[noddy]

A civilian pilot was killed when his fighter jet crashed shortly before he was to participate in an air show in South Africa Saturday, an air force official said.
Lieutenant Colonel Marius van den Heever of the Overberg Air Force Base said the English Electric Lightning jet was preparing to take part in the show which started Friday near Bredasdorp, about 200 km (122 miles) west of Cape Town.
"This aircraft went down after it took off and was busy readying itself for an air display at our air show," he said. "Unfortunately the civilian pilot died in the crash. All indications are he went down with the plane."
The jet -- part of a fleet belonging to Cape Town's Thunder City that offers civilians flights in ex-military jets -- crashed about 10 km from the air force base where the show was being held.

 

[Wittpilot]

South Africa.......didn't that incident where there was a demonstration team giving a ride to single civilian passager, (reporter maybe) and the guy in the back pulled the ejection handle?

 

[shackleton_boy]

yes it was indeed here where the civvie got a flip in an Astra and pulled the yellow cord.

Some photos taken during the show and of the crash...

 

[Dain Arns]

Eeek, that second picture is not good at all. Fuselage is melting away around the tailcone of the bottom engine, and looks like fire coming out from the top one as well by the horizontal stabilizers. Discoloration all around the engine area. What a tragedy.

 

[Snuffy]

Eeek, that second picture is not good at all. Fuselage is melting away around the tailcone of the bottom engine, and looks like fire coming out from the top one as well by the horizontal stabilizers. Discoloration all around the engine area. What a tragedy.

Yeah I was hoping I was seeing things ... thanks for the confirmation Dain.

 

[Quixoticish]

There is something especially chilling and evocative about that second picture.

 

[shackleton_boy]

it was an extremely sad day. What is worrying me is that our Youth Development kids saw it happen.... now none of them want to fly