INVESTIGATORS SAY R116’S TAIL ‘STRUCK LIGHTHOUSE ROCKS’
Experts locate significant amount of wreckage from helicopter
AIR-CRASH investigators revealed last night that the tail of tragic rescue helicopter R116 hit rocks at Blackrock Island, off the coast of Co. Mayo.
Jurgen Whyte, of the Air Accident Investigation Unit, said in a statement that a ‘significant amount’ of wreckage had been found and that it was now being examined.
He said that it was not yet understood what was the exact cause of the crash which claimed the lives of four members of the Coast Guard.
However, Mr Whyte said marks on the rocks of the recovered wreckage ‘are consistent with the tail of the aircraft contacting rocky surfaces on the western end of Blackrock’.
In the statement, released last night,
Mr Whyte of the Air Accident Investigation Unit, and the appointed investigator-in-charge, Paul Farrell, said: ‘A significant amount of wreckage has been recovered from the sea and this has been logged and will be brought to the AAIU wreckage facility in Gormanston, Co. Meath, for detailed examination.
‘Furthermore, the AAIU has visited Blackrock Lighthouse, on the approaches to Blacksod Bay, which is close to the last recorded position of the helicopter.
‘Some helicopter wreckage has been recovered from the general area of Black Rock Lighthouse. This wreckage is primarily from the tail area of the helicopter.
‘At this early stage in the investigation it is not possible to be definitive about the exact nature of damage to the recovered wreckage or indeed the circumstances of the accident.
‘However, there appears to be marks on some of the recovered wreckage which are consistent with the tail of the aircraft contacting rocky surfaces on the western end of Blackrock.’
The statement added that search vessels had detected a signal from R116’s black box, but the exact point of impact of the helicopter had not yet been pinpointed.
‘The investigation has not yet definitively identified the initial point of impact,’ the statement read. Equipment aboard surface search vessels has detected a signal
‘Signal points to an area’
which is believed to be from the underwater locator beacon attached to the aircraft’s black box. This signal points toward an area which will be the focus of further, multi-agency investigation activities at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather.’
A comprehensive search of the area off Blacksod Bay in Co. Mayo is being carried out by the Defence Forces, who currently have approximately 80 Army, Air Corps and Naval Service personnel, along with a ship and aircraft, deployed as part of the multiagency search operation, and is being led by the Coast Guard.
An Garda Síochána, RNLI, Marine Institute, Commissioner of Irish Lights, Air Accident Investigation Unit and are also deployed in the multi-agency operation.
Local fishermen whose knowledge of the area is proving very valuable are also involved.
All the R116 crew – Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby – tragically perished in the operation in which they were operating as support for the R118 helicopter.
Captain Fitzpatrick was laid to rest at the weekend but the bodies of the three others have yet to be found.
The crew of the Co. Sligo-based R118 which took a fisherman off a trawler about 150 nautical miles west of Eagle Island, off the Co. Mayo coast, had been told his hand had been amputated.
The Dublin-based R116 had been dispatched to act as ‘top-level’ safety and communications support for the R118 because the Air Corps – which had been asked for help – had no experienced pilots available due to cutbacks.
Agencies involved in trying to locate the R116 crew and the helicopter’s black box spent most of yesterday planning for a renewed search effort.
Bad weather hampered their efforts yesterday, with swells of up to five metres and force-nine gales. However, they now expect to be able to deploy an underwater robot, and possibly even divers, this afternoon at the main search areas, at Blacksod Lighthouse.
There is expected to be a brief break in the bad weather this afternoon. The Irish Coast Guard’s Declan Geoghegan said last night: ‘Once we get the right weather window, we will be able to mobilise pretty quickly.
‘There might be a slight chance in the afternoon, evening. If it doesn’t happen, we will probably be looking at late Wednesday, Thursday.’
As far as how the recovery crews were holding up, he added: ‘It’s the business we are in and people just have to be strong.
‘It’s three of our colleagues we are searching for; it’s a bit different from our normal search and rescue. These people are strangers to it but in this case they are colleagues.’
Robert McCabe, director of operations and navigation with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday: ‘We always have to be very careful not to raise either false hope or undue pessimism.
‘Seafarers are by their nature very optimistic people, so we are used to the challenges of the sea.’
Earlier, the Taoiseach visited the agencies involved in the searches.
Enda Kenny later tweeted: ‘I received a full briefing earlier in the Control Centre aboard the LÉ Eithne [naval vessel].
‘I want to commend the local community and all agencies involved in the continuing effort in this difficult search. Coast Guard, Lifeboats, Navy, Gardaí, Irish Lights and Civil Defence.’
Naval commander Brian Fitzgerald – the LÉ Eithne captain and search co-ordinator – said of the agencies involved: ‘They will leave no stone unturned.’
The Defence Forces currently has about 80 Army, Air Corps and Naval Service personnel, along with the LÉ Eithne and assorted aircraft, involved in the search.
They are working alongside the Irish Coast Guard, gardaí, RNLI, Marine Institute, Commissioner of Irish Lights, Air Accident Investigation Unit and local fishermen.
‘Will leave no stone unturned’