Accident
A Viscount aircraft crashed and caught fire after entering a vertical dive from low altitude. The aircraft was on a pilot conversion training flight that had departed Dublin at 06:44 GMT. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft plunge vertically before impact.
Flight Details
The flight was conducted under an IFR flight plan. The instructor had planned to spend two hours in a sector northwest of Dublin, followed by one hour practicing circuits and landings. All three crew members were killed in the crash.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from an unintentional stall and incipient spin at low altitude, from which recovery was not possible. Investigators found insufficient evidence to determine the circumstances leading to the stall and incipient spin, but noted that the aircraft's behavior in the final stages indicated it was not under the control of the flight instructor.