Pilot raised concerns about aircraft minutes before fatal crash
The light aircraft which crashed near Waterford Airport on November 20. Picture: Howard Crowdy
The pilot killed when the plane he was flying crashed in Waterford last month had raised concerns with air traffic control about an alternator and low fuel pressure just minutes before the fatal crash.
The Turkish pilot, Bircan Dokuzlar, a flight instructor, had flown into Dublin from Dusseldorf on a commercial flight on November 19.
He travelled to Sligo airport to fly the Vulcanair P.68C-TC to Ljubljana, Slovenia, on November 20.
The aircraft, registered EI-HPY, had been purchased by a Slovenia company from a UK company in May and had been brought into Ireland for storage in Sligo airport in July.
It had not been flown since its arrival in Sligo airport according to a preliminary report from the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU).
The report outlined that “an Irish-based maintenance organisation was contracted by the operator (the Slovenian company) to carry out the necessary administrative tasks associated with registering the aircraft, and obtaining an Airworthiness Review Certificate”.
On November 19, the aircraft was refuelled at Sligo airport with 310 litres of aviation fluid, in preparation to be flown to Slovenia the following day.
The flight was expected to take four hours and 58 minutes.
The accident occurred near Waterford airport on the leg of the journey from Sligo to Beziers Cap d’Agde airport in southern France.
The report from the AAIU states: “At 12:17:55 hrs, Shannon ATC (air traffic control) transferred control of the aircraft to the UK’s Western Radar Air Traffic Service.
“Shortly after this transfer occurred, Shannon ATC was informed by Western Radar that EI-HPY was declaring an emergency, the nature of which was described as low fuel pressure and an alternator issue with an engine.”
At 12.37pm, an inspector on call for the AAIU received a phone call from Shannon ATC, advising that a P68 aircraft “was experiencing some technical difficulties and was intending to divert to Waterford Airport”.
The report continued: “The pilot requested a direct approach from Waterford ATC because his left alternator was ‘off’ and his left engine fuel pressure was ‘low’.”
The aircraft was given clearance to enter the Waterford Control Zone and no departures from the airport were allowed until the plane had landed.
Of the minutes prior to the crash, the report outlined: “The pilot responded that he would be making a normal landing, but that he had reduced the power on his left engine, which was ‘still working’.
“The pilot further reported the problem with the alternator, that the fuel pressure on the left engine was low and said that if he advanced the throttle on the left engine it was ‘shaking, it’s shaking’.”
The report references a video made by an eyewitness which started after the approach to the airport was abandoned; the report says: “The footage appears to show the aircraft in a gentle left turn away from the runway.
“The wings are seen to level momentarily before the aircraft enters a steep turn to the left, quickly loses altitude and disappears from view. The pilot was fatally injured. There was no fire.”
Significant damage was caused to the plane, including to both wings. The plane’s fuselage was fractured behind the cabin and had folded back over the cabin roof.
“The fuel tanks had ruptured and a smell of fuel was evident during the site investigation,” the report stated.
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