Six dead after plane crash in Cork

Three British citizens, two Irish people and a Spaniard were killed in a plane crash at Cork Airport today.

Of the six survivors, two of whom walked away from the mangled wreckage of the 18-seater turboprop aircraft, two are British citizens, two are from Northern Ireland and the others are from Waterford and Cork in the Irish Republic, Garda sources confirmed.

Some of the dead were understood to be the crew and employees of the KPMG accountancy firm based in Belfast.

The pilots of the Fairchild Metroliner turbo-prop were making a third try at landing when the accident happened.

The flight crew may have made a mistake by persisting in attempts to land in fog at Cork Airport, aviation experts have claimed.

Experts said it was unusual for pilots to make more than two attempts and that they might have been better off diverting to Dublin where the weather was better.

"There was no emergency call and it's not thought there was anything wrong with the aircraft so it's clear that the weather was just not good enough," said David Learmount, operations and safety editor of Flight Global magazine.

Stormont Transport Minister Conor Murphy said he was in contact with his counterpart in the Republic in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Mr Murphy said: "My thoughts are with the families of those involved and I offer my sympathies to everyone affected.

"I have spoken to the Minister for Transport in the south, Pat Carey TD, and offered the support of my department to help in whatever way we can."

Fire crews and police from across the county were drafted in to support the rescue efforts.

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness spoke of their shock over the crash.

Mr Robinson said: "This is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts are with the families of the bereaved.

"My thoughts are also with the injured and I hope that they will make a full and speedy recovery."

The deputy First Minister said: "I am shocked at this news and want to convey my condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in the plane crash.

"My thoughts are also with those who have been injured."

The accident will be investigated by the air accident unit of the Department of Transport.

Manx2.com was founded in the Isle of Man and carries 100,000 passengers a year.

It has set up a helpline in Belfast for people concerned about loved ones on the flight - 02890 427004.