One dead after plane crash in Waterford
By Cillian Sherlock, PA
One person has died in a small plane crash near Tramore in Co Waterford.
Emergency responders, including rescue helicopters and gardaí, rushed to the scene at Lisselan near Tramore, Co Waterford, after the light civil aircraft crashed at approximately 12:50pm on Thursday.
Air crash investigators described the plane as a “twin-engined general aviation aircraft”.
The victim appears to have been the sole occupant of the plane, according to An Garda Síochána.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Department of Transport is investigating the incident with the emergency services and the Irish Aviation Authority.
The AAIU said it is deploying four air accident inspectors to the site.
Online flight-tracking websites show the privately owned Vulcanair P68C was flying between Sligo and Beziers, in France, when it turned around off the south coast of Ireland and headed back towards Waterford Airport before the crash.
Sinn Féin TD for Waterford David Cullinane said the crash was a “shock” to the local area, adding that the community’s thoughts are with whoever was on the plane.
The scene is being preserved and investigations are ongoing.
Speaking on Newstalk, Southern Correspondent with the Irish Independent, Ralph Riegel, said the plane has also been significantly damaged.
"It's a twin engine-type aircraft, it had high-wing mounting, and it appears to have gone nose first into the field," he said.
"Substaintial damage from images that we've seen of the crash site, and substantial damage done to the front of the aircraft...the tail section of the plane is pointing skyward."
