Preliminary report finds no faults in Cork Airport crash plane

No mechanical faults have yet been identified in a plane that crashed killing six people and injuring six more.

Irish air accident investigators said it is still trying to establish why the Manx2.com flight from Belfast crashed at Cork Airport when it attempted to land in thick fog on February 10.

In a preliminary report, investigator Leo Murray said he has not yet identified any failures in the airframe, systems or powerplants during the flight or at the airfield.

“The factors which resulted in the loss of control are being examined,” he said.

The experience of Spanish pilot Jordi Gola Lopez, 31, and his english co-pilot Andrew Cantle, 27, from Sunderland, are forming part of the investigation.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) revealed the pilots had tried to abort their third and fatal landing attempt.

A warning had sounded during the last seven seconds of the cockpit voice recorder, which is believed to be the stall warning horn.

Four seconds before the plane crashed the co-pilot was also heard calling “go round” which was acknowledged by the pilot.

The report continued: “Recorded data shows that the aircraft rolled significantly to the left as the aircraft tracked towards the runway centreline.

“This was immediately followed by a rapid roll to the right which brought the right wingtip into contact with the runway surface.”

The aircraft hit the runway with a roll angle of 97 degrees to the right, flipped over and landed on grass where it caught fire.

Victims of the crash included Brendan McAleese, 39, a businessman in Co Tyrone; Pat Cullinan, 45, a partner in leading accountancy firm KPMG in Belfast; Captain Michael Evans, 51, deputy harbour master in Belfast; and Richard Noble, a 49-year-old businessman who was originally from Yorkshire but lived in Northern Ireland.

Mr McAleese was a cousin of Dr Martin McAleese, husband of Ireland’s President Mary McAleese.