What happened
On the morning of May 25, 2006, a Cessna 150M, registered as EI-CHM, departed from Weston Aerodrome for a scheduled training mission. The flight was being conducted by the National Flight Centre and was intended to serve as a revision session for a student preparing for a pre-instructors rating test. The aircraft was occupied by two individuals: a qualified flight instructor in the left seat and a student pilot in the right seat.
At roughly 09:55 local time, observers working near a residential construction site in Raharney, Co. Westmeath, reported hearing a revving engine. Upon looking toward the west, they witnessed the aircraft in a vertical spiral toward the ground. The aircraft struck the earth with a vertical impact, resulting in two fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage at the accident site and noted that there was no debris path, indicating the aircraft impacted the ground vertically. A survey of the wreckage confirmed that all components of the aircraft remained at the single impact location.
Initial technical inspections of the engine were conducted to determine if mechanical issues played a role. At this stage of the inquiry, no abnormalities were identified in the engine that would have hindered its ability to produce rated horsepower or prevented standard operation. Furthermore, no evidence of any mechanical failure occurring prior to the impact has been established.