AN AIR accident investigation team will today begin a technical inquiry into the circumstances that led a pilot to ditch his light aircraft into the sea off the south Co Wexford coast.
John O’Shaughnessy had to perform a forced landing near Tuskar Rock lighthouse, some seven miles from Rosslare Harbour, when his two-seater Avid Speedwing suffered a power failure at about 4.45pm on Tuesday.
The single-engine aircraft was travelling from Haverford West in Wales to an airfield run by the Society of Amateur Aircraft Constructors at Ardinagh in Taghmon, some 15 miles from Wexford town.
Prior to hitting the water, Mr O’Shaughnessy, a resident of Foulksmills, Co Wexford, sent a Mayday signal which was picked up by the air traffic control unit at Shannon airport.
A nearby rowing boat witnessed the plane ditching into the sea and sent a second Mayday signal which was picked up by members of the Irish Coast Guard service.
Less than half an hour later Mr O’Shaughnessy, who was travelling alone, was winched from the wing of the aircraft by a helicopter from Co Waterford and taken to Waterford Regional Hospital, where he was examined. He was discharged a short time later.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU), an arm of the Department of Transport, is today starting its examination of the aircraft, which was yesterday transported to Gormanston in Co Meath.
The RNLI lifeboat from Rosslare had towed the plane to shore at Carne Beach on Tuesday night, where the AAIU carried out an initial examination of the aircraft. Jurgen Whyte, chief inspector of the AAIU, said a technical team report will follow once the investigation is complete.
Mr Whyte said the pilot had been interviewed about the incident and that he had done well when ditching the aircraft following the power failure.
“The pilot did a very good job in ditching the aircraft safely and evacuating to the wing,” he said. “He was very complimentary to the emergency services and helpful to our investigation.”
Attempts to contact Mr O’Shaughnessy yesterday were unsuccessful.
Oliver Dudley, a crew member of the British Orchid, the rowing yacht which sent out a Mayday signal as it saw the plane crash into the sea, said the crash took him completely by surprise.
“We were stuck in overfall and desperately rowing against this torrent of water when a plane just suddenly dropped from the sky,” he said. “We sent out a Mayday call, relayed our position to the Coast Guard and rowed to where we could see the tail in the water and a guy waving his hands.”
Mr Dudley said the pilot had blood on his head, seemed to be in shock and was very cold. He said the plane was submerged but floating and that the pilot still wanted to collect his backpack and some paperwork from the plane despite his precarious position.
The British Orchidset off from Dover on August 1st in an attempt to break the record for the fastest navigation around Britain.
