‘Andy would have done anything to prevent tragedy’

THE devastated partner of the co-pilot killed in the Cork Airport disaster said last night that he would have done everything in his power to prevent the tragedy.

Andrew Cantle’s long-term girlfriend, Beth Webster, 25, from York in England, spoke out after it emerged that Mr Cantle, and not the flight’s commander, Jordi Lopez, was listed in the aircraft’s technical log as the ‘pilot flying’ at the controls of the Manx2 flight when it crashed on its third attempt to land in thick fog on February 10.

“I know that Andy would have done everything in his power to prevent this tragedy from happening, as he was such a caring ‘people’ person and a natural lifesaver, proved through his past service and commitment to the RNLI,” Ms Webster said.

“He would have thought nothing about putting his own life on the line to save others.”

Ms Webster made her comments after reading the Air Accident Investigation Unit’s (AAIU) preliminary report into the crash which claimed the life of the man she hoped to marry.

“I am still deeply saddened and devastated about losing my gorgeous Andy.

“A huge part of my life has been taken away and it is difficult to imagine my future without him in it.

“We did everything together and had many things planned.

“My heart goes out to all of the other bereaved families and loved ones, my thoughts are with them.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Cork city, including the emergency services both in Ireland and the UK and the Air Crash Investigation team whose conduct has been both professional and exemplary.”

But she hit out at Manx2, the virtual airline which sold tickets for the doomed flight. “I feel that Manx2’s conduct in all of this has been unacceptable.

“Andy’s parents and myself have yet to hear a word of condolence from any of the senior executives of the company and they should hang their heads in shame.”

The AAIU report shows that two inexperienced pilots were rostered together on the same flight.

It was Mr Cantle’s first job as a co-pilot. It was one of pilot Mr Lopez’s first as captain of a Metroliner.

Mr Cantle piloted the flight as it left Belfast City Airport for Cork at 8.10am on February 10 with 10 passengers on board and enough fuel to make it to Cork and back. Waterford was its alternative airport.

At 8.48am, the crew contacted Cork Approach Control which advised them low visibility, or CAT II landing conditions.

Aviation sources say that a flight’s commander, in this Mr Lopez, would normally take over for such landings.

But Mr Cantle remained at the controls and aborted two landings — at 9.03am at 101 feet above the ground, and at 9.14am at 91ft above the ground.

The aircraft entered a holding pattern for 15 to 20 minutes. The crew checked the weather at Waterford, which was poor, and Shannon, which was also poor.

They then checked the weather at Dublin, which was marginal, before Cork Approach told them that the weather at Kerry was excellent.

However, weather conditions at Cork improved and the crew decided to land.

Mr Cantle set the flaps to half, even though most pilots would set them to full, to ensure a lower stall speed.

Data from the aircraft’s approach shows it deviated to the right of the runway’s centreline when it was about 400ft above the ground. The data shows a reduction in engine power, followed two seconds later by an increase in power, while at the same time an alarm sounds, either a terrain warning or stall alarm. It was seven seconds to impact.

Three seconds later, and at 100ft above the ground, Mr Lopez called for a go-around, an aborted landing, which was acknowledged by Mr Cantle.

But the plane rolled significantly to left, followed by a rapid roll to the right before the right wing tip struck the runway.

The aircraft was at a 97 degree when the tip struck. It landed on its roof.

Mr Lopez, 31, from Spain, and Mr Cantle, 27, from Sunderland, died. The other victims included Brendan McAleese, 39, a businessman from Co Tyrone, Pat Cullinan, 45, a partner in leading accountancy firm KPMG in Belfast, Captain Michael Evans, 51, deputy harbour master in Belfast, and Richard Noble, 49, a businessman who was originally from Derbyshire but lived in the North.

Mr McAleese was a cousin of Martin McAleese, husband of President Mary McAleese.

Six passengers survived including graduate Donal Walsh, 22, from Waterford, Peter Cowley, from Glanmire in Co Cork, Laurence Wilson, 51, from Glenoe, Co Antrim, Heather Elliot, who is originally from Kinsale, Co Cork, and now lives in Belfast, Mark Dickens, 40, from Kent, and Brendan Mallon from Bangor, Co Down.

Ms Webster’s solicitor, Jim Morris, a former RAF pilot and partner in London-based Irwin Mitchell Aviation Law, said the report raises very serious concerns.

“The evidence highlighted in the report suggests that there were several points when it would have been best practice for the captain, who for some reason had decided not to pilot the aircraft, to take control from his less experienced colleague,” Mr Morris said.

“The captain had ultimate responsibility for the safety of the aircraft and everyone on board and it is he who has the responsibility for making key decisions about safety.

“There is a strong argument that taking into account factors including the poor weather conditions and very low visibility, the captain himself should have been flying the aircraft and the two failed attempts to land before the crash serve to reinforce this.

“More importantly, however, we have major concerns over the actions of Manx2 in relation to this crash. The rostering of a relatively in-experienced captain with a very inexperienced co-pilot is bewildering. The rostering decision in this case appears to have been made without any adequate consideration of flight safety issues, leading to a classic example of a chain of events which led to an avoidable aviation disaster.”

Meanwhile, members of the public were invited last night to attend an ecumenical service in Cork this weekend to honour the dead and injured.

The lord mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell and the mayor of Cork County, Cllr Kevin Murphy will attend the service in the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne at 3.30pm on Sunday.