An Extra 300 crashed at 17:00LT (15:00GMT) on July 26th 1997 during a crowded airshow in Ostenda (Belgium), killing the pilot (Capt. Omar hani Bilal of Royal Jordanian Air Force) and 8 peoples on the ground and injuring others. Witnesses say that Bilal, after around 5 minutes in his performance, started a loop at very low level, apparently to close it very low, but had insufficient height to recover and pulled hard in a late attempt to avoid ground contact. Aircraft stalled and impacted the runway with high angle of attack, caught fire and skidded into a first-aid post and a stand crowded by spectators. Weather was reported cloudy, with wind gusting to 30Kts and intermittent rashes. Visibility and ceiling were OK for the display, and aircraft was apparently perfectly serviceable. Capt. Omar Hani Bilal was leader of "Royal Jordanian Falcons" aerobatic display team of Royal Jordanian Air Force. Experienced military pilot, Bilal sported some 1000hrs on Extra 300 with several bright achievements in competition worldwide.Attention is presently focused on pilot error, considering strong wind and windshear effects as contributing factor. god bless omar .....

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