Six killed as plane crashes landing in fog

A relative of Ireland’s President was among the fatalities along with two other Northern Ireland businessmen, a Briton, and a Spanish pilot and British co-pilot.

Two of the injured miraculously walked from the mangled wreckage after the 18-seater turboprop crashed on landing in thick fog – the worst accident at an Irish airport.

Brendan McAleese, who owned the Central Laundries business in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, was a cousin of Martin McAleese, the husband of President Mary McAleese.

Another of those killed was Pat Cullinan, a partner in leading accountancy firm KPMG in Belfast. A third victim was Captain Michael Evans, Deputy Harbour Commissioner in Belfast.

Mrs McAleese said: “I am especially conscious of the pain being experienced tonight by all of the bereaved as one of the deceased was Brendan McAleese, my husband Martin’s cousin.

“His family have lost a fine and loving husband, father, son and brother, and their awful grief is replicated in the lives of all those who lost their loved ones in today’s crash.”

The daily scheduled Manx2 flight took off from George Best Belfast City Airport at 7.50am.

It was due to land after 9am but, after two aborted attempts to touch down in thick fog, the Fairchild Metroliner with 10 passengers, pilot and co-pilot on board crashed on a third descent.

Aviation weather reports said visibility on the ground was down to about 300 metres at 9.30am and improved slightly to 400 metres by 10am.

Half an hour later the fog had lifted with visibility of 1,800 metres.

The Irish Aviation Authority said the plane crashed at 9.52am and an engine caught fire. Within four minutes emergency crews had put out the blaze and prevented it spreading to the cabin.

Air accident investigators from Dublin and the UK are to join forces to examine the crash site, wreckage and the events in the final minutes of flight.

Belfast Harbour Master Kevin Allen said colleagues were devastated at the death of Capt Evans.

“Michael was tremendous fun and unique to work with, and was well-known and respected throughout the shipping industry,” he said.

Terence O’Rourke, KPMG’s managing partner, said: “Pat Cullinan was an extremely talented professional and a real gentleman.

“He was highly regarded by all of his colleagues and clients and his tragic and untimely death has come as a shock to everyone in the firm.”

Prof Stephen Cusack, chief of emergency medicine at Cork University Hospital, said he was shocked to see passengers alive when he arrived at the scene to set up a field hospital near the wreckage.

“Given the amount of damage that was done it was quite remarkable that half of the people on board survived,” he said.

Noel Hayes, chairman of Manx2.com, said it was the first accident in the airline’s five-year history.

“This has been a terrible day and our thoughts are, first and foremost, with the families of those who lost their lives, and those who were injured,” he said.

The six survivors included Donal Walsh, a volunteer for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Ireland.

Director of the organisation Adam Jones said he received a reassuring text message from Mr Walsh.

It read: “I am fine with very minor injuries all things considered. Thank God.”

The only woman on the flight, who was from the UK, survived.

Another of the injured was from Glanmire, Co Cork, and two others from Northern Ireland.

Health chiefs said four people injured in the crash landing were in a serious condition and two were described as “comfortable”.

raf crew eject in ‘incident’

A Tornado crew was forced to eject from the aircraft during an incident at an RAF base last night.

The two personnel were taken to hospital following the incident at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray just after 5pm.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “An incident has occurred involving an aircraft at Lossiemouth. The good news is that the crew ejected safely and are on route to hospital.”

It is understood the crew encountered a problem on landing the aircraft.

A Tornado jet went down in the sea off the west coast of Scotland on January 27. The crew, also from RAF Lossiemouth, ejected before it crashed.