Irishman dies in skydiving tour plane crash in Hawaii

An Irishman was one of five people who died in a plane crash in Hawaii on Monday morning.

The small plane crashed during a skydiving tour just outside Port Allen Airport in Kauai at about 9.30am, the Kauai fire department said in a statement.

The man, named locally as Damien Jimmy Horan, was from Tullamore, Co Offaly and was the pilot of the plane.

Witnesses claimed the plane crashed shortly after taking off.

Two skydiving instructors and two tandem jumpers were passengers on the plane. The two jumpers were brothers visiting from Oklahoma.

Four of people involved in the crash were pronounced dead at the scene and one man was taken to Wilcox hospital, where he was also pronounced dead.

Local Cllr Thomas McKeigue said the Horan family were well known in the Tullamore. “It’s very tragic when a young person dies like this. He was known as a very genuine, easy-going and talented young man,” he said.

“The family goes back several generations as stonecutters and are involved in a printing business. His mother is American. They are friendly, hard-working and a very decent family.”

Cllr McKeigue said the local community would rally and support the family.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed (DFA) they are providing consular assistance to the family of Mr Horan.

The National Transportation Safety Board will work with officials to determine the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.