What happened
On the afternoon of February 13, 2000, a Pegasus XL-R aircraft, registration G-MWUE, was conducting a private flight near the Drogheda area. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, was flying at an altitude of approximately 500 to 550 feet when they turned south toward Baltray Beach. During the flight, the pilot observed a slight reduction in engine revolutions and descended toward the shoreline to evaluate the beach as a potential landing site. After determining that deep footprints in the sand made the beach unsuitable for landing, the pilot attempted to climb toward a better area near the Baltray Golf Course by applying full power.
As the aircraft approached the mouth of the River Boyne Estuary, the engine suddenly dropped to an idle state, and the foot throttle became unresponsive. To avoid crashing into the river or the sea, the pilot executed a hard right bank, resulting in a heavy impact on the starboard side of the aircraft on the beach. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries and required hospitalization.