Weather, terrain factors in plane crash

Rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, high terrain and a mistaken perception of the aircraft’s position relative to the ground all contributed to the air corps crash in which two men lost their lives, a report has found.

Flight instructor Captain Derek Furniss, 32, from Rathfarnham, Dublin, and Cadet David Jevens, 22, from Glynn, Co Wexford, died after their plane hit the ground nose down and at high speed, north of Lough Corrib on the Galway/Mayo border on Oct 12, 2009.

Capt Furniss’s last words, “bad decision now”, were heard on the cockpit voice recorder seconds before impact.