He also said he appreciated the support from other Red Bull Air Race pilots. Adilson Kindlemann's plane crashes into the Swan River during a training session ahead of the Red Bull Air Race in Perth this weekend. Credit:Anthony Howie "I feel fine. I’ve had X-rays and medicals and fortunately I’m 100 percent," he said. "The people who rescued me from the water are unbelievable. The water (rescue) training we had on Monday really prepared me for this." All race pilots completed underwater emergency training yesterday.

The crash happened about 11.50am midway across the river, around the area in front of Wesley College. Adilson Kindlemann. Credit:Getty Images Bystander Steve McIntosh told WAtoday.com.au that he watched the plane go through three pylons close to South Perth, before it headed towards the city. "It all happened in the blink of an eye," he said. "It looked like it knife-edged and 'bang' it was in."

Brian Hutchinson, visiting with his wife from Scotland, said Kindlemann was taken from the rescue boat and placed on a stretcher "slowly and carefully", before being loaded into the ambulance. There's not much left of the plane, it just looks like a wing. Mr Hutchinson was watching the plane before briefly turning his back. "We just heard a kind of 'whoomp' type noise and the engine stopped," he said. Two boats immediately raced to the scene.

A witness, who works at the Boatshed Cafe at South Perth, said that an Air Race speedboat had arrived at the crash site "within 20 seconds" and immediately pulled the pilot from the water, before speeding off to the city side of the river. Another witness told WAtoday.com.au that the impact was "not massive". The plane was not going quickly "and just slowed up and fell down". "Normally you would think it would nosedive or something, but it just fell down," the witness said. Brett Cornford told WAtoday.com.au he saw the plane go "wing first" into the water. "There's not much left of the plane, it just looks like a wing."

Today was a training day for this weekend's race, with the crash happening in the first morning training session. Police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said police were "working closely" with organisers and aviation authorities to investigate the cause of the crash. The Swan River Trust is also investigating due to a possible pollution risk. Air race chief executive Bernd Loidl said emergency response teams were on the scene "in minutes". It was the first crash in the Red Bull Air Race’s seven-year history.

A local aerobatic pilot who witnessed the crash, but did not want to be named, said it appeared Kindlemann’s port wing stalled as he rounded the last chicane on the course and was hit by a gust of wind. The stall caused the wing to drop and clip the water, with the plane then cartwheeling and tumbling into the river, the pilot said. Squally conditions most likely contributed to the crash. "There were 20 knot (37kmh) gusts out there when he was practicing, and all it takes is one of those gusts to change the relative airflow and the wing would have stalled," he said. "He must have hit pretty hard, because it made an almighty bang as it hit the water. There was a lot of damage to the plane."

Kindlemann’s MXS-R race plane was later towed to the South Perth foreshore, where a crane was used to salvage it. He is the first South American to compete in the Red Bull Air Race. On his website, Kindlemann yesterday expressed his frustration with Perth's wintry weather not allowing as much time for practice as he would like. "It was very important to fly with this weather changing so much," Kindlemann said. "Flights were different from each other, since the second one was windy. But this type of training is essential for us to face different situations and to be prepared on the race day."

Kindlemann has clocked up more than 11,000 flight hours, and about 700 hours of aerobatics, according to the race's official website. Loading He has 18 years of aerobatics experience, has performed more than 300 shows in Brazil, and is a three-time Brazilian aerobatics champion. with AAP