I knew both men, flew with then both and shared many a chat and cup of tea. Niall hoped to find the elusive job soon and may have started jump flying next year. Damien was learning to fly on Tesco's wages. Which isn't easy. Very unfortunate. A real tragedy for the club and town. Birr unlike many towns with airfields has a good relationship with the flying club.
I would concur with Blue Squirrel's suggestion of carb icing. Conditions on the day were very conducive to it. It was quite a mild day with plenty moisture in the air and yes EIBR is plenty wet at the moment. Standing water in places. Long taxys were common too although whether it happened on the day is another question.
I suffering carb icing in cruise in a C150 years on a very similar day. Scared the hell out of me because I didn't instantly recognise it. It's initial symptons were simply vibration followed by a gradual loss of power. Luckily I was at 2000 feet not 300. A few years ago another C150 spun in fatally during a PFL again attributed to carb icing. It is of course very early to be looking at a cause. But the wings were observed to be rocking by one witness, a pilot in fact. Also in fact the terrain where it came down is not particularly favourable for a forced landing particularly from less than five hundred feet. Again it's too early to draw too many conclusions from that.
But one thing can be said, as usual the newspaper reports are not entirely accurate. Not sure where they got the 'warning lights' idea. Also the suggestion that Shannon raised the alarm when it dropped off the radar is pure fiction. It was never high enough to even appear on radar. It was reported missing by club members.
Other than that I have to say media reports have been generally well informed and respectful.
I'll be attending the funerals. Lost count now of all the pilot funerals I've been to.
Last edited by bluecode; 13th November 2012 at 15:29.