Search for Missing Aircraft / Wicklow

[pmtts]

A British light aircraft with four people on board has disappeared from radar screens while flying over mountains in the Irish Republic.

The Piper PA-28 plane left Gloucester for Kilrush at 1000 BST on Saturday.

It was last sighted on radar at 1230 BST as it flew over the Wicklow Mountains, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said.

Police have begun a search but said bad weather was hampering attempts to find the aircraft. Air support is being provided by the Dublin coastguard helicopter.

A police spokesman said: "Patrol cars have gone up into the area and are searching it."

The IAA said Dublin air traffic control monitored the flight before passing it over to Kilrush a little over ten minutes before the last sighting.

But it was not until 1800 BST when a relative of the pilot raised concerns about the plane's whereabouts.

The operator of the privately operated Kilrush Airfield, Ian Valentine, said he was not made aware the plane was due to land there.

He said he received a text message from the pilot - believed to be a 40-year-old man - earlier in the week but he would normally expect a phone call on the day of the flight.

Mr Valentine added: "I checked the whole airfield to see if there was a plane on the ground and there wasn't of course."

He described the pilot as an experienced flyer who had travelled to the Irish Republic about twice a year for the past seven years.

[Goldie fish]

Wreckage has been found by mountain rescue groups. The condition of the occupants has not been made public at this stage.

[Goldie fish]

Wreckage found in aircraft search
Sunday, 26 October 2008 11:07
Rescue teams searching for a British registered light aircraft which went missing yesterday have located wreckage in the Wicklow mountains.

There is no information yet about the aircraft's pilot and passengers.



A coastguard helicopter is taking a medical team to the crash site on Church Mountain, between Hollywood and Donard.

AdvertisementThe Piper PA 28 light aircraft took off from Gloucester in England yesterday and was due to land at Kilrush airfield in Co Kildare yesterday afternoon. It is believed there were four people on board.

The alarm was raised when the plane had still not reached the airstrip by 7pm yesterday evening.

The plane was last spotted over the Wicklow mountains yesterday and since 7am this morning a search has been ongoing in the area stretching from the Mullaghcleevaun Mountain, down to the Wicklow Gap and west to Kilrush.

Wreckage has now been located in an area near the Wicklow Gap and a medical team is en route.

Gardaí from Bray station are coordinating the search, assisted by the Air Corps, the Dublin coastguard helicopter, the Dublin, Wicklow and Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Teams and a large number of volunteers.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1026/missing.html

[riflemangundy]

God speed to all on the plane,,

God bless the mountain rescue people they do some work,, the glen mountain rescue are based at the Fentons.

[pmtts]

Gardai have confirmed that four bodies have been found in the wreckage of a plane.

Wreckage had been found near Corriebrock mountain.

Superintendent Michael Lernihan, who co-ordinated the search for the plane, said: "What we can say is that we have discovered one body in the rear of the plane.

"It crashed and the nose and front part is embedded in the ground.

"It (the plane) has to be dug out."

[johnny no stars]

Pictures look pretty grim. One wonders why they were flying in instrument conditions....

[SARMAN]

God rest there souls.

Well done to all involved in the search and recovery operation, not an easy task..

[hptmurphy]

Eternal rest grant unto the departed.

As usual the rescue services have not been found wanting in their efforts, well done to all involved although it is not the reult they and we would have wished for.

I'm sure an AAIB investigation will give all the details but it isn't any solace to the families of those involved.

[Goldie fish]

If the aircraft is registerd in the UK, would their authorities also be involved in the investigation?

It is sad though that in too many of these cases, the outcome is not what all would hope, in spite of the best efforts of the rescue services.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
The external "home" AAIB, in this case, would send a rep over to sit in on the investigation and, in effect, defer to the locals.If it was a bigger accident, they would send over a team.The local AAIU would send reports to all relevant parties in the UK and Ireland.
regards
GttC

[easyrider]

from the Irish Times website

[BANDIT]

If there had been no relative or friend waiting for them , would there accident have been noticed. Surely planes crossing Irish Air space are monitored until they land or leave. Not even thinking about security lbut just safety. RIP to the 4 people involved

[California Tanker]

I presume there is the option of opening a flight plan with the ATB or whatever the local FAA equivalent is. If it's not closed within a certain amount of time after the estimated time of arrival, the aircraft is declared missing.

You'll occasionally notice large signs at the exits to GA airfields around here saying "Pilots! Have you closed your flight plans?" Apparently there has been more than one occasion of an excited or absent-minded pilot forgetting to call in, only to have the aiplane found sitting on the ramp after a brief investigation.

NTM

[Joshua]

If there had been no relative or friend waiting for them , would there accident have been noticed. Surely planes crossing Irish Air space are monitored until they land or leave. Not even thinking about security lbut just safety. RIP to the 4 people involved

ATC reported that the flight plan had been closed.

The following is an edited version from breaking news.ie



According to the operator of Kilrush airfield Ian Valentine, Mr Booz used the landing strip usually twice a year to visit relatives in the near-by town of Newbridge, where it is understood his wife was from.

Mr Valentine said he was not aware the plane was due to land at the strip until a relative of the pilot contacted him at around 6pm last night from Gloucester.

When the alarm was raised last night, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) checked over its radar log and discovered the plane’s last known location was over the Wicklow mountains at around 12.30pm.

A spokeswoman said air traffic control at Dublin Airport had monitored the plane up until about ten minutes before this, when the pilot closed his flight plan.

[Jetjock]

The pilot had closed his flight plan and requested and received frequency change from ATC to the local frequency for Kilrush, probably in the few minutes prior to the crash. Hence his progress was no longer monitered and no overdue alert was initiated.

He had also not informed the airfield owner of his intention to fly in on the day. Even though met information for airmen is widely available, a simple prior call to Mr Valentine at Kilrush for a local weather brief might have given him sufficient advice to stop him attempting the flight at all. Who knows for what reason the flight proceeded in such terrible weather but it is the parents of the pilot's son's friend that I feel sorry for the most, having entrusted their son's well-being to another individuals supposed informed decision making. What a terrible price they have to pay.

Bad weather, strong gusting winds, mountains and light aircraft are a combination best avoided. No one, despite how good and experienced you think you are, despite how many times you have gotten away with it in the past, is going to outrun the power of mother nature forever. It's a fact brought home to pilots and indeed sailors far too often.

I have flown Irish Sea crossings in light aircraft five times in the past twelve months, twice to Gloucester and twice from Gloucester, the same airport this aircraft departed from on Saturday. I have postponed twice for 24 hours for much less marginal weather than Saturdays. Four people are dead, including two children. If I tried, I would fall a long way short of articulating my true feelings on Saturday's happenings. Tragic and needless.
Even if a mechanical failure is found to have occurred,reported and forcecast weather conditions for Saturday would have precluded any chance of a favourable outcome.

Know your limitations. It holds true in any walk of life and most especially for pilots.

May they Rest in Peace.