What happened
On the morning of 22 June 1967, a Vickers Viscount aircraft departed Dublin Airport at 06:44 G.M.T. The flight was being conducted for the purpose of converting Aer Lingus cadet pilots to the aircraft type. The flight crew received I.F.R. clearance to operate within the sector northwest of Dublin Airport, with the instructor intending to conduct two hours of training in that area before returning to the airport for circuits and landings.
During the flight, the aircraft climbed through various assigned flight levels, receiving updated clearances from Air Traffic Control at 06:56 and 07:07 G.M.T. The final communication from the crew to Air Traffic Control occurred at 07:08 G.M.T., when they acknowledged their most recent clearance.
At 07:43 G.M.T., Air Traffic Control received a report via telephone from the Ashbourne post office indicating that an aircraft had crashed approximately two miles north of Ashbourne. Following unsuccessful attempts to contact EI-AOF via radio, emergency procedures were activated. A second training flight operating in the area was dispatched to search for the aircraft and located the wreckage at 07:51 G.M.T.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and gathered accounts from eyewitnesses at the scene. Witnesses reported that the Vickers Viscount had been flying at a relatively level attitude at a low altitude before suddenly diving toward the ground in a nearly vertical descent. The impact was followed by intense fire and several explosions.
Findings
- The aircraft struck the ground in a nearly-vertical attitude following a dive from low-altitude level flight.
- The crash resulted in three fatalities, involving the training captain and two cadet pilots.
- The impact was followed by significant post-crash fire and explosions.