Cork air crash report brings ‘closure’ for Lawrence

The Larne man was speaking to the Times following the recent publication of a report by Ireland’s Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU), which highlighted a string of failings that led to the crash.

These included pilot fatigue and bad judgment calls by the crew and a lack of oversight by aviation chiefs.

Six people lost their lives when the aircraft, bound from Belfast City Airport with 12 people on board, crashed in fog after failing to land on its third attempt in at Cork Airport in February, 2011.

The AAIU described the investigation as one of the most challenging it had ever completed, and have now made 11 safety recommendations in an effort to prevent similar accidents from taking place.

And now, as the third anniversary of the disater approaches, Mr Wilson is hopeful that something positive can emerge from this tragic event.

He said: “I am happy with what the investigators had to say in their report – provided that the various safety recommendations are implemented.

“Hopefully, that will stop something like this from ever happening again, which is the only positive thing that can come out of all this.

“The publication of this report brings some closure for me and allows me to draw a line under the whole thing and move on.”

Mr Wilson told the Larne Times that he has been back in the air twice since that fateful day.

He is also planning on meeting up with fellow survivors to commemorate the third anniversary of the tragedy.