‘Safety recommendations must be implemented immediately’

The lawyer representing the families of several victims and survivors of the disaster said they want to see its 11 safety recommendations implemented immediately to prevent future similar tragedies.

James Healy-Pratt, the head of aviation and travel at the leading aviation claimant law firm, Stewarts Law LLP, said Ireland’s Air Accident Investigation Unit’s (AAIU) report into the Feb 2011 crash makes for difficult reading for his clients — the majority of the families of the four fatally injured passengers and six survivors.

“This comprehensive report reveals a ‘low-cost, low-safety’ airline operation,” he said.

“The pilots ran three red stop lights in poor weather, with tragic results.

“Needless lives were lost, and others seriously injured, in what was a preventable accident.

“Air safety is a right and not a privilege, and we are calling on the EU Air Safety Commission to prevent the loss of future innocent lives in similar circumstances.”

He said to the general public, it appeared that tickets for the doomed flight were sold and the flight was operated by Manx 2. He said several of his clients who were on the ill-fated flight feel they were misled.

But he said the AAIU report has now clearly shown that the actual flight was being operated by the Spanish operator, Flightline BCN, with a newly-appointed captain and a co-pilot still under training.

With Cork Airport shrouded in dense fog, the pilots of the Fairchild SA227-BC Metro III aircraft aborted two attempts to land.

Then, contrary to standard rules and practices, the crew attempted a third landing on runway 17, during which the right wing tip of the aircraft clipped the runway, the aircraft overturned, skidded for 200m, left the runway and caught fire.

Six people, including the two pilots died. Six others survived with injuries.

Mr Healy-Pratt said the report has raised a number of concerns with the operational aspects of the flight and aircraft.

“The Spanish operator had its commercial licence revoked by the European Air Safety Commission in the months after the accident,” he said.

“In addition, the legality of the arrangements for the flight have raised serious safety concerns as Manx 2 considered itself a ‘virtual carrier’ and as such did not carry aviation insurance.

“Further, the report raised concerns over potential defects in the Fairchild Metro aircraft and its components, which were a factor in the chain of causes of this tragedy.”

These are currently the subject of legal proceedings in Chicago, USA.

Mr Healy-Pratt said the families have welcomed the comprehensive report but were not surprised by the general tone and nature of its findings.

“They are glad to see there are numerous safety recommendations,” he said. “But they want to see those safety recommendations implemented.”

The recommendations will have implications for similar ‘virtual carrier’ airline operations which are relatively common across the EU and Asia.