LAST FLIGHT: TUSKAR ROCK TRAGEDY

Aer Lingus Flight 712 crashed while flying from Cork to London on 24th March 1968, killing all 61 passengers and crew. The aircraft, a Vickers Viscount 803 named St. Phelim, crashed into the sea off Tuskar Rock on the County Wexford coastline.

Although the investigation into the crash lasted two years, a cause was never fully determined. Early causes proposed in several investigative reports from 1970-2000 included a bird strike, a missile or target drone, or mechanical and structural failures on critical flight controls.

The flight left Cork Airport at 10:32 on Sunday morning for London, Heathrow. The flight proceeded normally until a call was heard by another Aer Lingus pilot with the radio message of "twelve thousand feet descending spinning rapidly". There was no further communications with the aircraft and London ATC informed Shannon ATC that they had no radio contact with Flight 712, EI-AOM. London ATC requested Aer Lingus Flight EI 362 (flying Dublin-Bristol) to search west of Strumble. This search at 500 ft (150 m) in good visibility reported nothing in the coastal sea.

At 11:25 a full alert was declared. By 12:36 there was a report of wreckage sighted at position 51°57′N, 06°10′W by nearby fishing boats. Searching aircraft found nothing and the report cancelled. Aircraft and ships resumed the search the following day and "wreckage was sighted and bodies recovered" 6 nautical miles (11 km) north-east of Tuskar Rock with more wreckage scattered "for a further 6 nautical miles north-west". In total, only 14 bodies were ever recovered from the sea searches. The main wreckage was located on the sea bed 3 km from Tuskar Rock, though not all of the main fuselage was recovered.

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