Kevin Roy Winterbottom (1955 – 9 June 1976) was a South African Air Force (SAAF) pilot who chose to avoid crashing his stricken Impala jet aircraft in the Monument Park suburb of Pretoria by remaining with his aircraft to the end.

[1] The HC was at the time South Africa's highest military decoration that could be awarded in peacetime.

On the morning of 9 June 1976, Winterbottom was piloting Atlas MB326 km Impala Mk II #1022.

[3] While making his approach to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base an engine failure due to a bird strike left him with no thrust and insufficient altitude to reach the airfield.

[5] He chose the latter, steering his aircraft to crash into a small deserted recreation park where he was killed instantly on impact.