An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU ) has concluded that engine failure was the cause of a plane crash near Ireland West Airport Knock in May 2008 which resulted in the tragic death of a Salthill man.
The final results of the investigation, released this week, also found that the injuries inflicted on the pilot, 51-year-old Markus Casey of Dr Mannix Road, Salthill, had been exacerbated by the failure of the single diagonal seatbelt harness to restrain him adequately during impact rotation.
According to the report from the AAIU, the aircraft, a Beechcraft Model 77 Skipper, took off on a private flight from Ireland West Airport Knock on May 11, 2008, with two people on board. Approximately seven minutes later, the pilot, Mr Casey, reported engine problems to air traffic control (ATC ) and attempted to return to the airport. Following power loss the engine subsequently failed. A forced landing was attemped in a field with difficult terrain in the townland of Cloonamnagh, Kilmovee, Co Mayo, and resulted in the aircraft impacting the ground in a steep nose down attitude at approximately 3.35pm. The pilot was fatally injured while the passenger was seriously injured.
At around 3.50pm the ATC station watch manager at Ireland West Airport Knock notified the AAIU of the incident and a response team comprising two inspectors was dispatched and arrived at the accident site at 6.30pm. By the following day an official AAIU investigation was launched.
The investigation concluded: “The engine failure was caused by a fatigue of cylinder number two inlet valve head, a segment of which transfered to and contaminated cylinder number four. This, combined with a resulting disturbed inlet manifold airflow, caused the engine to fail. Metallurgical testing determined that the initiating cause of the fatigue fracture in the number two inlet valve head was overheating, but the cause of this could not be conclusively determined.”
The report also stated that “witnesses who heard and saw the aircraft described a labouring engine, which stopped, restarted for a couple of seconds and stopped again some seconds prior to the noise of impact.”
Mr Casey, who was an experienced pilot, worked as an archaeologist, and was killed instantly when the light two seater aircraft developed problems and crashed into the field in Kilmovee. Mr Casey was pronounced dead at the scene while the passenger was taken to Mayo General Hospital for treatment of his serious injuries.
