Pilot’s last words before crash revealed in report

THE former sportswear heir and Powerscourt Estate owner Michael Slazenger’s last words after crashing his plane were that he forgot to pull up the landing wheels.

Air accident experts found the retired anaesthetist struck a tree that had been allowed to grow too large beside a private runway on his sprawling Co Wicklow estate.

The crash on April 10 last year also claimed the life of his 66-year-old friend Noel Whitney. It could have been averted if the landing gear was raised after an abandoned attempt to land, the investigation concluded.