Rescue 116 system error ‘flagged 4 years earlier’

Six months after Rescue 116 crashed into an island that was not included in its onboard warning system, serious questions have been raised about when the company first learned about this lethal danger.

RTÉ Prime Time’s Katie Hannon reported last night that the programme has been told that a pilot had flagged the absence of Black Rock from the system four years ago — but the error was not corrected.

The programme also revealed that nine days after Rescue 116 crashed with the loss of all four of its crew, it was discovered that the aeronautical data relating to one of our most famous islands, Skellig Michael in Kerry, was also dangerously inaccurate as it indicated that its height was more than 500 feet than it actually is.