Records exists of a number of aviation accidents in the Fermoy area during the 20th century, including one that occurred 93 years ago this month.
The plane crash in the uplands area of the town occurred on Monday, June 25th 1923, and resulted in one fatally and one serious injury.
Records indicate that a 21-year-old male by the name of Lieutenant John Francis McDonagh died as a result of the accident, while the pilot, Lieutenant McCullogh was seriously injured.
According to reports carried in the Cork Examiner around the time of the accident, the two men were based in the aerodrome in Fermoy and had been flying for some time before the plane ran into difficulty.
Engine trouble is thought to be the reason the plane nose-dived from around 1,000 feet, before colliding with a tree and landing in a field.
“The incident was witnessed by some persons, who immediately communicated with the military who had the injured officers removed to hospital,” the Cork Examiner reported, adding that the DH4 plane was reduced to ‘match wood’.
