A fatal plane crash earlier this month in a San Francisco airport has led to bout of behaviour on a US television news programme which can best be described in terms once coined by Taoiseach Charles Haughey in response to a controversy which generated much controversy. Haughey referred to the arrest of the killer in the house of the country's Attorney General as Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre, Unprecedented. A political opponent and writer immediatelty coined the acronym GUBU and it as rapidly entered the political lexicon.
In a post crash news report 'Oakland TV station KTVU broadcast four erroneous
names for the pilots of Flight 214 after a National Transportation
Safety Board intern mistakenly confirmed them as being correct.'
The airline is now to sue the broadcasters.
Fianna Fail leader Charles Haughey addressing the party at its annual Árd Fheis at the Simmonscourt, RDS, Dublin, 19th April 1986.
A preliminary investigation into last month’s plane crash near Birr airfield, Co Offaly, has found that the plane had no technical defects. The investigation will now focus on the amount of fuel the plane was carrying at the moment of impact.
Two men lost their lives in the air traffic accident. Flying instructor Niall Doherty from Roscrea and trainee pilot Damien Deegan from Crinkle were both 31.
Below are some images from Ireland's aviation history.
A Westland Widgeon Helicopter, arrives at Dublin Airport on its way to the Air Display at Weston, Leixlip, Co. Kildare.
A de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth pictured on the ground readying for takeoff .
The black and white pictures show classic aircraft at the air show at Weston Aerodrome, Ireland. The Westland Widgeon helicopter (pictured middle) was built in the 1950s but was never commercially successful and only fourteen were built.
