Six killed in Cork air crash

The light aircraft carrying 12 people crashed shortly before 10am in Cork on Thursday.

Initial reports from the scene said that six people were dead with a further two people still trapped in the wreckage and four others unaccounted for.

A spokesman for George Best Belfast City Airport said: “We can confirm that the Manx 2 aircraft was scheduled to leave Belfast City Airport en route to Cork, flight number NM 7100. It left at 0812 this morning with 10 passengers and two crew on board. We understand there has been an incident at Cork airport involving this aircraft.”

Martin McGuinness

The Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, later revealed that he had considered taking the ill-fated flight to take part in Sinn Fein’s campaign for the Irish General Election.

At a press conference in Belfast City Airport, Mr McGuinness said his heart went out to the families of those killed and injured.

“This is a route I have travelled on a number of occasions,” he added. “In fact, I am going to be in Munster tomorrow and I had contemplated travelling on this flight, but that changed due to other circumstances.

“So I am very conscious of the fact that this is a flight that is frequented by people from the business community, people who have family reasons to travel to Cork and indeed people who are involved in tourism.”

A spokesman for the Irish Aviation Authority confirmed more details on the events that led to the crash: “The aircraft made an approach to Runway 17 in low vis conditions and went around and did not land and attempted a second landing on Runway 35.

“The aircraft then went around a second time and came back for an approach to Runway 17.”

Six people were taken from the crash site to Cork University Hospital. Cork Airport closed soon after the crash whilst thinbound flights have been transferred to Shannon Airport.