AN INVESTIGATION INTO yesterday’s light aircraft crash in Wexford is currently underway.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Chief Inspector of the Air Accident Investigation Unit Jurgen White said: “We have a team of investigators who spent most of yesterday evening securing the aircraft and recovering it from the waterline with the beach. The aircraft has been taken to higher ground, which was done earlier this morning.”

“Our team will be back in situ to start to dismantle the aircraft and prepare it for transport back to our facility in Gormanston County Meath where we will conduct further examinations on the aircraft itself,” he added.

The aircraft was conducting a marine wildlife survey during the flight. It stayed completely intact upon landing on the beach.

Four people were injured yesterday evening after a light aircraft crash landed on a beach in Wexford.

The Irish Coast Guard was notified at approximately 5.10pm last evening that the light aircraft had crashed on a beach around three kilometres west of Carnsore Point.

The pilot alerted the coast guard of difficulties before managing to make an emergency landing on the beach.

A garda spokesperson said there were four people on board – two men in their 20s and 50s and two women both aged in their 30s.

Four people were injured after the aircraft crash landed on the beach. 

Ger Carthy, an independent councillor for the area and first responder, told RTÉ’s Liveline: “Fortunately, due to the actions of the pilot he managed to save the lives of his three counterparts yesterday evening when the plane went down.” 

Carthy paid tribute to the emergency services who played a role in responding to yesterday’s crash.

“The emergency services really stepped up to the mark. They train hard to play hard and they played hard yesterday evening. They brought it to a successful conclusion,”  he said.

The Irish Coast Guard said the Air Accident Investigation Unit is investigating the incident.

The Rescue 117 helicopter from Waterford was tasked to attend the scene along with the Carnsore/Rosslare Coast Guard Unit. Gardaí and emergency services also attended the scene.

Helicopters brought two people to hospital, and the other two occupants were brought by road ambulance.

White told Morning Ireland that the Air Accident Investigations Unit “will be talking to An Garda Siochána today in the hope that we can speak to the pilot and the passengers on board when they are available to speak to us. Obviously the information from the pilot is going to be crucial to determine what type of technical issue we had.”

“Also the examination of the aircraft will tell us as to what condition the aircraft was in before the emergency took place,” he added.

Contains reporting from Orla Dwyer