What happened
On a specific afternoon, a Cessna 208B departed from Runway 27 at Clonbullogue Airfield (EICL) in Co. Offaly at roughly 13:14 hours. The flight was carrying a total of 18 people: the pilot, one child passenger seated in the cockpit, and 16 skydivers located in the main cabin. Following the standard procedure, the skydivers exited the aircraft at an altitude of about 13,000 feet while flying over the airfield.
During the return leg to the airfield, the pilot communicated via radio that the aircraft was positioned on the left base leg. This was the final radio contact made before the aircraft disappeared from communication. It was later determined that the aircraft had struck a forested peat bog at Ballaghassan, Co. Offaly, situated roughly 2.5 nautical miles northwest of the airfield. The impact occurred in a nose-down orientation, and while the aircraft was completely destroyed, no fire was reported at the scene.
Findings
- The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose-down position.
- The crash resulted in 2 fatalities, involving the pilot and the child passenger.