Elderly glider pilot dies in crash

An elderly pilot died tonight after his glider crashed in a field near an airstrip in Co Kilkenny.

It is understood that the man, in his late 70s, was a well-known businessman in the area.

He was the only occupant of the single-seater glider that crashed in a field close to Kilkenny Airfield’s perimeter at around 6pm.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny city for a post mortem-examination.

“The scene is sealed off and personnel from the Air Accident Investigation Unit are carrying out an investigation into the cause of the accident,” a Garda spokesman said.