Sixth day, still no sign of missing Durban Airshow pilot
The search for veteran pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray, 61, entered its sixth day today, Wednesday following a light aircraft crash off Durban’s North Beach.
Blackwood-Murray, a South African Airways and aerobatic pilot from Johannesburg, was flying a ZS-AEC Extra 300 during the final display of an airshow linked to the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Global Summit on August 14 when the aircraft spiralled into the sea.
Despite a large-scale operation involving the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), SAPS divers, Metro Police and private contractors using sonar technology, the pilot has not been found. Parts of the wreckage have been recovered and are under investigation by aviation authorities.
Tributes have poured in for Blackwood-Murray, described by friends and colleagues as a world-class pilot and “true gentleman.” His wife, Kyla, said in a message: “He was my world. I don’t know how I’m going to live without my wingman.”
The eThekwini Municipality has closed Battery Beach for safety reasons as the search continues. Authorities say investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.