Rescue 116: ‘Anger doesn’t get you anywhere, I’m sad,’ says father of Dara Fitzpatrick.The Irish Times view of the Rescue 116 crash: Tragic and preventable.It also said the island did not appear on the helicopter’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), which alerts pilots if an aircraft is in danger of hitting land. The investigation found the crew had been “unaware” the helicopter was heading straight for the island, with the mission taking place at night in poor weather.

The 350-page report states Rescue 116 was en route to Blacksod refuelling station when it struck the western end of Blackrock island and then crashed into the sea. The report is critical of safety failures at the Irish Coast Guard, and CHC Ireland, the company which operates search-and-rescue helicopters. Concerns were raised about a small island not appearing on a warning system that alerted pilots to dangerous terrain nearly four years before Rescue 116 helicopter crashed into it, killing all four crew, a report has said.Ĭapt Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt Mark Duffy and winch team Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith died when the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter crashed at Blackrock island, 13km west of Blacksod, Co Mayo, in March 2017, as it was travelling to help airlift an injured fisherman off a boat.Īn Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) report found a number of navigation system issues contributed to the helicopter crashing.

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