What happened
On the morning of the accident, EI-AOM, a Vickers Viscount type 803 operated by Aer Lingus, departed Cork Airport at 10:32 hours for London. The flight was initially proceeding normally under Air Traffic Control instructions via Airways Blue 10 and Green 1 at flight level 170. During the climb, the crew received various routing suggestions from controllers, including a potential direct route to Strumble.
At approximately 10:57 hours, the aircraft reported its position near Bannow while maintaining 17,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, London Radar intercepted a garbled transmission from the aircraft. This was followed eight seconds later by a distress call indicating the plane was descending rapidly and spinning. This communication was the final contact received from the flight.
Search operations began immediately, involving various aircraft and vessels from Ireland and the United Kingdom. While initial searches on the day of the disappearance yielded no results, wreckage and bodies were discovered on 25 March 1968, near Tuskar Rock. A total of 14 fatalities were eventually confirmed as bodies were recovered during the search efforts.
Subsequent investigations by trawlers identified a large debris field in approximately 39 fathoms of water. The wreckage, which included major structural components and engine parts, showed no signs of fire or explosion, but the aircraft had been destroyed by a violent impact with the sea.