Pilot Dies in Small Plane Crash Near Waterford Airport

A pilot died when a small private aircraft crashed into a field near Waterford Airport in Ireland on Thursday afternoon, prompting an investigation into the emergency that led the plane to turn back mid-flight.

The incident occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. in Lisselan, near Tramore in County Waterford, as the twin-engine Vulcanair P68C attempted an emergency landing short of the runway. The plane, registration EIHPY, had departed earlier from Sligo Airport and was bound for Béziers-Cap d'Agde Airport in southern France. Flight-tracking data indicated it veered off course about 50 kilometers offshore along the south coast before the pilot declared a midair emergency and reversed direction toward Waterford.

Emergency services, including more than 25 Gardaí officers, firefighters, paramedics, and the Waterford-based Rescue 117 helicopter, responded immediately to the scene. Witnesses described the aircraft flying low and in distress before it struck the ground, flipping on impact and producing smoke from the wreckage. The plane sustained severe damage, particularly to the front section, with the tail remaining upright after it came to rest near a roadside ditch. Roads in the...