A Swedish aerobatics champion was killed yesterday when two stunt planes taking part in the Aero Grand Prix of Malta collided and crashed into the sea at the entrance of Marsamxett harbour. The other pilot parachuted safely.
The dramatic accident, which happened just after the clock struck noon, was witnessed by thousands of horrified spectators who lined vantage points on either side of the harbour.
The pilots were racing midway between Tigné Point and Fort St Elmo when the two single-engine aircraft collided as they were in a climbing turn heading out of the harbour. They were so close to shore that the spectators heard the crash above the roar of the other five aircraft taking part.
Veteran air show performer Gábor Varga, 45 had little chance of survival as his red-and-blue Yak, minus its tail, plunged nose first into the sea followed by the red-and-white Extra 200 of 37- year-old Irish pilot Eddie Goggins.
Mr Goggins had a lucky escape, his red parachute opening when he was just about to hit the water. Armed Forces of Malta patrol boats and rescuers from the Civil Protection Department were on the spot within seconds, quickly recovering the two pilots from the water. The Irish pilot waved to spectators as he was taken ashore on a rescue dinghy, as if to reassure onlookers that he had escaped unhurt. But Mr Varga was dead.
The Civil Protection Department said its divers located the pilot within two minutes in a depth of about 13 metres. He was still strapped in his seat. The divers brought him to the surface but he had several injuries and appeared to be dead. He was examined by a doctor on board the Civil Protection launch Garibaldi, who certified that he was dead.
Access to the Harbour was closed immediately and the rest of the Aero GP was cancelled. There was no damage on the ground. The collision shocked the spectators who had gathered around the harbour to follow the race. Even the keenest aviation enthusiasts who had been avidly taking photos of the aerobatic aircraft looked dumbfounded. Some in the crowd at first thought that what had happened was part of the show. But the sight of the rescue dinghies confirmed the worst. And although the show was cancelled, most of the people who had gathered for the show remained on site for hours watching the search and recovery of debris through their binoculars or camera lenses.
An inquiry was held in the afternoon at the Sliema police station and at Haywharf.
The last aircraft crash to have caused fatalities in Malta was in June 1982 when a Harvard light aircraft which was here for the air rally of Malta crashed onto a section of the seminary at Tal-Virtù, killing two on board. In December 1995, five Maltese died when a Piper Lance aircraft carrying them on a flight from Tunis crashed in the Mediterranean.
In 1975 five crewmen and a Maltese civilian died when an RAF Vulcan bomber crashed over Zabbar. The worst air crash in Malta occurred in 1956 when an Avro York crashed near Zurrieq, killing 50.
This was the first time that the Aero GP had been held in Malta. The light, brightly coloured aircraft thrilled the crowds on Saturday as they raced each other over a tight course and conducted tricky manoeuvres in some cases only 10 metres above the sea. They also bombed a "submarine" not far from the old submarine base near Lazzaretto, on Manoel Island. Yesterday's event was still in its first hour when the accident took place.
The first Aero GP took place in Slovenia last year.
'The Wild One'
Gábor Varga died yesterday doing what he enjoyed most - thrilling people with his aerial stunts.
Known as "the wild one", Mr Varga was at the controls of his Yak-55, named "The Greasy Goose", when his aircraft's tail was snapped off in the collision and the plane plunged into the sea. "My wild spirit and the open water of the Stockholm archipelago free my mind," he was quoted saying by a website. Mr Varga was a Guinness World Record holder, having performed 256 aerobatic loops in an hour.
He was the owner of Fun Fly Aviation, a company offering aircraft maintenance and aerobatics instruction. In the first edition of the Aero GP competition, held in Slovenia last year, Mr Varga had placed third. Besides the Yak-55, he also owned another aerobatic aircraft, a Steen Skybolt. On his company's website he advertised that he was available for "expos, happenings, movie stunts, sky writing, grand finales and other spectacular things".
"For me there are no limits!" he had said.
Recent aerobatic accidents
May 5, 2006. At Suwon air base, South Korea, an A-37 plane crashed into the airbase runway during an aerial display to celebrate children's day. The pilot, Kim Do-hyun, 33, was killed but no one else was harmed.
June 17, 2005. At Margate in South Africa, champion Glen Dell, piloting a Flick Extra 300, came down in a sugarcane field. He was injured but survived.
October 31, 2003. At the Twin Ring Motegi race track in Tochigi, Japan during the Haute Voltage Aerobatics grand prix. Russian pilot Alexandre Krotov survived the accident after his Sukhoi SU-26's left wing clipped a light pole.
August 15, 2003. In Sydney, Australia during aerobatic training. A female pilot crashed into front yard of a home in Camden.
July 26, 1997. At Ostende in Belgium close to a crowd during an acrobatic solo in an airshow. Jordanian pilot Omar Bilal died together with eight spectators. About 40 people were injured, many with critical burns caused when flames and debris rained down.