A FLYING instructor and his pupil were injured yesterday when their aircraft plunged 2,000 feet and crashed into woodland in Co Tipperary.
Staff from the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) began an inquiry after the two-seater Pegasus Quantum flexwing microlight crashed at Ballyduggan near Slievenamon, about two kilometres from Mullinahone in south Tipperary.
The microlight was flown by Vincent Vaughan (48) from Mullinahone, a flying instructor operating out of Kilkenny airfield about 25km away, who was bringing a 46-year-old student on a training flight.
The tandem aircraft, which has one seat immediately in front of the other and is powered by an 80bhp four-stroke petrol engine, came down at the edge of woodland near the road between Mullinahone and Killamery at about 11.30am.
The crash was observed by a member of the public who alerted the emergency services. Fire rescue service units and HSE ambulances, together with gardaí, responded immediately and were quickly on the scene, where theybegan treating the injured men.
The Irish Coast Guard used its Sikorsky helicopter based at Waterford airport to remove the 46-year-old man, who is from Ballincollig in Co Cork, to Waterford Regional Hospital. The emergency services described his condition as “serious”.
Helicopter duty captain Barry O’Connor told RTÉ news yesterday the microlight was badly damaged in the crash and fire service personnel had to work quickly to free the two casualties from the wreckage.
“It’s a relatively wooded area and it was a certainly a steep in-approach and was quite a significant crash. [The microlight] was badly broken up and the persons were trapped for some time, so it took a little while for the fire services to release the two casualties.”
It is understood Mr Vaughan, who is well known locally as a musician, was not injured seriously. He was brought by ambulance to Waterford Regional Hospital for treatment for his injuries.
Gardaí preserved the crash scene and AAIU inspectors Paul Farrell and Paddy Judge travelled there yesterday afternoon and began examining the wreckage.
They planned to remove the wreckage from the scene last night and transport it back to the unit’s examination centre in Gormanston in Co Meath, where they will carry out a full technical examination of the aircraft to try to establish the cause of the crash.
Local speculation suggested the aircraft may have lost a wing while flying near Slievenamon, causing it to crash, but air-accident investigators say they will not be able to comment on the cause of the crash until they have concluded their technical examination of the aircraft.