Death crash pilot rushed landing, finds probe

THE pilot of an aircraft that crashed, killing himself and a passenger, was stressed and uncomfortable about the weather while carrying out the demonstration flight for a group of businessmen, an investigation has found.

The official probe concluded Dubliner Matt Masterson, 59, probably rushed his decision to land at Connemara Airport, at Inverin, Co Galway, because he didn’t want to disappoint those onboard.

Accountant Paul McNamee, 57, of Loughrea, Co Galway, also died when the Cessna Caravan struck a mound in a field off the runway. Seven other businessmen, returning from a meeting on Inis Meain, in the Aran Islands on July 5, 2007, were seriously injured.