Pilots warned over flying close to mountain

PILOTS of commercial aircraft have been warned about flying too close to Mount Errigal on approach to Donegal Airport following an accident last year in which two passengers and one crew member were injured.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit has recommended that the Irish Aviation Authority should review flight paths which take aircraft near Donegal’s highest peak because of the increased risk of turbulence.

It follows an incident which took place on board an Aer Arann flight from Dublin to Donegal International Airport at Carrickfinn on December 2 last. During the descent at a height of around 2,700 ft, the ATR-42-300 aircraft with three crew members and 32 passengers experienced severe turbulence which lasted around 10 seconds.

One male passenger was rendered temporarily unconscious and spent 48 hours in hospital as a result of multiple injuries including a suspected broken arm. Another passenger and cabin attendant were also slightly injured as the aircraft pitched suddenly upwards at a steep angle and back down again.

One passenger on board the flight said she noticed the aircraft “went along the side of Errigal Mountain”. She said there was a terrible noise which she mistakenly thought was the propellor hitting some object.

Another passenger who regularly travelled the route said she was never so near to Mount Errigal on any previous flight. An AAIU report found the turbulence occurred just six seconds after the aircraft had passed the mountain at a lateral distance of 600m. It noted the plane had descended at twice its previous level to 1,500ft per minute about 12 miles away from Donegal airport.

The AAIU recommended the Irish Aviation Authority should add Donegal to its list of airports including Sligo and Kerry for which it issues warnings about possible turbulence.