Johan Jacobs was going to be the fastest man on earth. Instead he was killed in a 500km/h crash in a dragster powered by a jet engine.
The South African land speed record holder and former fighter pilot died on Tuesday (June 27) at Verneukpan, near Upington, when his Edge jet car went out of control and flipped during a practice run for an attempt to break the world land speed record for a mile (1.64km) from a standing start.
Earlier runs had proved the jet dragster's ability to complete a one-kilometre run from a standing start in 9.4 seconds at a terminal speed of about 509km/h.
Full medical backup was on standby but the medics were unable to save Jacobs. His wife and children were present when the accident happened.
Plans to host a large group of motoring journalists in a desert tent camp were cancelled after the tragedy; they had been invited to watch the attempt to break the record.
Jacobs, 40, was managing director of Gauteng's Jet Stream Drag Racing Promotions and holder of the South African land speed, standing-start kilometre and quarter-mile (400m) records.
The specially built Edge jet dragster slashed land speed and acceleration records and became a popular attraction at venues across the country, including challenging an L-39 Albatross jet fighter piloted by top aerobatic and commercial pilot Pierre Gouws, at the Jozi air show at Rand Airport, Gauteng, during May 2006.
The airborne jet fighter had the advantage of flying past the starting point at around 200km/h before accelerating towards the quarter-mile and one-kilometre markers.
As the plane passed overhead, Jacobs ignited the afterburner on the jet dragster, unleashing 5000kg of thrust and thundering towards the finishing point at more than 500km/h.