What happened
On July 29, 2007, a Steen Skybolt biplane, registered EI-CIZ, was involved in a fatal accident at Ardfert Private Airfield, Co. Kerry. The aircraft, a homebuilt plane operating under a Permit-to-Fly, had been performing in an aerobatics display for the local Ardfert Festival. Following the display, the pilot landed at the nearby airfield, shut down the engine, and spent approximately twenty minutes on the ground interacting with colleagues from the Coonagh Flying Club.
Upon preparing for a return flight to Coonagh Airfield, the pilot intended to perform several aerobatic maneuvers. Witnesses on the ground observed the aircraft perform a roll along the runway axis, followed by a short inverted fly-past. The pilot then initiated a climbing right-hand roll. During this specific maneuver, bystanders heard the engine make a loud bang or spluttering sound, after which the engine ceased running. The aircraft subsequently struck a stone wall covered in hedging in a nearby field. While some witnesses believed the pilot might have leveled the wings before impact, the wreckage pattern suggested the aircraft was still in a bank during the collision. There was no fire at the scene.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading from the engine failure to the impact. Emergency responders and a local physician arrived at the scene shortly after the crash, where they confirmed the pilot had sustained fatal injuries while seated in the rear tandem seat. The pilot's seven-point harness remained functional and intact. Following the initial response, the scene was secured by the Gardai, and the wreckage was transported to the AAIU facility in Gormanston for a detailed technical examination.