'Distracted' trainee pilot forgot to remove towbar before aircraft took off

The 'serious incident' occurred during a training flight which took off from Weston Airport, Co Dublin, on August 22, 2023. Picture Colin Keegan/ Collins 

A light aircraft flew over a heavily populated area of west Dublin last year with a towbar still attached to its landing gear, an investigation has revealed.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit has released details of the potentially dangerous situation which arose after a trainee pilot became distracted during a pre-flight walkaround of the aircraft which resulted in both he and an instructor forgetting to remove the towbar.