Rescue teams are searching for pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray after a light Extra EA-300LP aircraft registered ZS-AEC crashed into the ocean near Suncoast Beach in Durban during an airshow linked to the NGAP Global Summit 2025.
Video footage shows the plane looping before hitting the water. Emergency services, including SAPS, NSRI, lifeguards, and paramedics, remain on scene, but no occupants have been found.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC Siboniso Duma confirmed the aircraft was not South African and that the AIID is leading the investigation, stressing the need for sensitivity and support for the pilot’s family.
? BREAKING: A search is underway for the pilot of a light aircraft that crashed into the ocean at Pirates Beach, Durban. The ZS-AEC Extra 300 went down during the Durban North Airshow. Emergency crews and helicopters are on site. pic.twitter.com/v7ycYcts2I
— ECR_Newswatch (@ECR_Newswatch) August 14, 2025