By Dan Walsh
Air Accident Investigation Unit has published details of a thorough investigation following an aircraft crash which occurred on the evening of Sunday, October 6th 2019 and claimed the lives of pilot John Finnan, 52, from Naas in Co Kildare and flying instructor Peter Tawse, 61, of Raheen, Newbawn, Co Wexford.
They had taken off on a two-seater Rollason Condor light aircraft from Taghmon Airfield that afternoon, before crashing in the Gibletstown area of Duncormick in south Wexford at about 5.40pm.
At approximately 4.10pm on 6th October 2019, the aircraft, a Rollason D.62B Condor, registration EI-BDX, departed ILAS Field (EIIF) near Taghmon, for a flight which was planned to last approximately one hour. There were two persons on board the aircraft: the pilot, who was seated in the left seat, and an instructor, who was seated in the right seat.
The airfield from which the aircraft was operating is located two Nautical Miles (NM) southwest of Taghmon, Co. Wexford. There is a single, grass runway, 600 metre (m) in length, designated Runway (RWY) 18/36.
The aircraft taxied to the northern end of the airfield and, at approximately 4.10pm was observed to take off to the south, before turning right and circling back around, while climbing. The aircraft crossed to the north of the airfield, turned right and continued to climb to at least 3,000 ft and proceeded in a south-easterly direction until it went out of sight. It was described as a ‘completely normal take-off – a completely normal climb’.
Witnesses reported that at approximately 4.40pm the aircraft, while operating over the Duncormick area, emitted a loud noise and broke up in the air. Local persons proceeded to the scene and the emergency services that had attended determined that both occupants had been fatally injured. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was destroyed and that there was no fire.
The wreckage from the aircraft was spread over a wide area spanning four agricultural fields. The largest section of wreckage comprised the instrument panel forward to the propeller; the entire right wing complete with main undercarriage leg and the inboard section of the left wing including the main undercarriage leg. This section of wreckage came to rest, inverted, in the boundary hedgerow of an agricultural field.
WexfordLocal.com 