Two killed in helicopter crash

The two occupants of a Schweizer helicopter were killed when it crashed in a bog near Carbury in Co. Kildare yesterday evening. The helicopter, operated by the European Helicopter Academy departed Weston Airport west of Dublin around 5pm yesterday evening on a training flight with Cork as the destination. The helicopter hit power lines before crashing in Kilmurray bog. Investigators reported that there was no power in the lines but that the helicopter appeared to have made contact before crashing. It was 12pm this afternoon when a Coast Guard helicopter located the wreckage of the aircraft in an inaccessible location in the bog. The alarm was initially raised this morning by the families of the two occupants when they failed to arrive in Cork.

The pilot instructor was from Co. Donegal with two years experience and the student was in his 20's and from Co. Clare.

Emergency services and accident investigators are in attendance at the scene. It is anticipated that it will take some time to retrieve the wreckage due to the inaccessibility of the crash site.

Posted 090402