One of the South African pilots who was involved in the first Kenyan Defense Force Museum Airshow  is dead.

Mark Sampason died on Tuesday in a crash in Zimbabwe. 

Sampason who was among pilots of Marksmen Aerobatic Team perished in a flying incident in Harare, Zimbabwe. 

The team were on the return leg of a roundabout trip from Cape Town to Nairobi, where the team had performed a successful aerobatic formation display when the accident occurred on May 31. 

A statement from the team said they were devastated and were working with the Zimbabwean authorities.

The airshow at Wilson Airport in Nairobi on May 28 was held in conjunction with the Aero Club of East Africa.

“It is with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that today, the Marksmen aerobatic team can confirm that Mark Sampson, outstanding aviator, honoured team member, trusted number-4 and loyal friend, perished in a flying incident in Harare, Zimbabwe,” read part of the statement.  

A video that captured the crash was widely shared online. 

After the show, the team issued a statement saying they had a great weekend in Kenya displaying at Wilson airport in Nairobi. 

“We were treated to exceptional Kenyan hospitality. The Museum Airshow Festival was held at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi and we were fortunate to display with the highly skilled aviators from the Kenyan Airforce (KAF) as well as a number of other commercial operators including Kenya Airways.” 

It was the first time the military and civilian air operators came together to treat the Kenyan public to exciting displays.

The colourful air display kept Kenyans glued to skies as the military and civilian experts took charge of the airspace to display their capacities and capabilities in different performances. By Cyrus Ombati, The Star