This article is from page 13 of the 2008-11-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
A CLONLARA stunt pilot crashed and died when the engine cut out in his plane due to fuel starvation, an investigation has revealed. Father of three, John Keane, died as he fin- ished an aerial acrobatics display in Ardfert Co Kerry last year.
Air accident investigators said that fuel starvation led to the crash. Eye- witnesses said they heard the plane’s engine bang before it stopped.
Mr Keane, an experienced pilot, appeared to try to level off and start the engine again but couldn’t do so because he was flying low.
The report just released by the investigating team said that vital
evidence as to the cause of the crash could have been lost in the destruc- tion of the cockpit as rescue workers cut through the wreckage to get Mr Keane out of the plane.
While the fire services first priority is always to control a fire and to get any casualties away from the area, the accident investigators said that in this instance, there was no urgency in removing the pilot from the scene.
The investigation found that a flex- ible tube intake hose had become uncovered and sucked air into the fuel system when the plane entered a near-vertical climb.
The 57-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to Kerry General Hospital.