THE PARENTS of one of the two airmen killed in a military flight training exercise in Connemara have said they hope the Air Corps will become a “safer environment” if recommendations made in the subsequent investigation into the incident are implemented in a “timely manner”.
Donal and Liz Jevens were commenting after an inquest jury in Galway returned two separate verdicts into the deaths of the airmen after their training aircraft crashed in Connemara 2½ years ago.
The jury returned a unanimous open verdict on the death of instructor Capt Derek Furniss (32), of Rathfarnham, Dublin, and an accidental death verdict by majority in the case of trainee pilot Cadet David Jevens (22), of Glynn, Co Wexford.
The jury found both died of multiple injuries sustained in a high-velocity aircraft crash in Crimlin East, near Cornamona, on October 12th, 2009.
West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin had given the jury three options – death by misadventure, accident or an open verdict.
He explained the option of misadventure would not apply to David Jevens, as he was not at the controls of the Pilatus PC-9(M) at the time of the crash.
Mr and Mrs Jevens expressed “relief” at the outcome yesterday and confirmed their youngest son, Christopher (18), wished to pursue a career in the Air Corps after his Leaving Certificate.
“The Air Corps is going to be a safer place if safety recommendations are implemented,” they said.
The Furniss family had no comment to make on the outcome.
General Officer Commanding Air Corps Brig Gen Paul Fry told the second day of the inquest that the Air Corps had lost “two bright and vibrant young men”.
Under cross-examination by the coroner, Brig Gen Fry also agreed if the seventh safety recommendation in the Air Accident Investigation Unit’s inquiry had been in place beforehand, the outcome would have been different.
That recommendation in relation to visual navigation exercises had been reviewed, including provision for reduced speed in poor weather, he said.
The unit’s inquiry had found while spatial disorientation was the probable cause of the crash, high speed and continued flight towards high terrain in deteriorating and changeable weather were contributory factors.
Brig Gen Fry told the inquest all seven investigation unit’s safety recommendations had been or were being implemented. Under cross-examination by Mr Jevens, the brigadier general also agreed there had been no flight safety audits in the training school between 2004 and 2009.
“If I’d known about it, it would have been acted upon, absolutely,” Brig Gen Fry, who took over command of the Air Corps in January 2011, told Mr Jevens.
The brigadier general agreed there had been no training for emergency low-level aborts, but this had “been addressed” since the crash. Asked by Mr Jevens if there were “any rules” his late son “broke”, Brig Gen Fry said: “Mr Jevens, he did everything he was asked to do.”
Mr Jevens was “part of a very smooth working crew”, coming to the end of his training and “rated above average”, Brig Gen Fry said.
Earlier, air accident investigator Paddy Judge was asked by John Kiely, counsel for the Minister for Defence, if he would promote weather to being a more “central” factor, given the evidence of Crimlin East farmer John Walsh.
Mr Walsh had said the rapidly changing conditions were the worst he had seen there in 40 years.
“We as professionals feel the aircraft shouldn’t have been operated in those conditions,” Mr Judge said, but this was “one of those unfortunate accidents where very professional people get caught out by a particular chain of events.
“There but for the grace of God goes anyone who operates aircraft,” Mr Judge added.
Sympathising with the families, Dr McLoughlin said the Defence Forces had lost “two inspirational officers” and “two very good and valuable colleagues”.
“You have lost probably the most proficient pilot and possibly the best upcoming cadet in training,” he said.
Also expressing sympathies, Brig Gen Fry, Garda Supt Tony O’Donnell and Mr Judge paid tribute to the people of Cornamona, the emergency services, the Garda, Air Corps and Army.
