61 people died in the crash.
RTÉ One will air a documentary next week focusing on the Tusker Rock tragedy, the worst crash in Irish aviation history.
On 24 March 1968, Aer Lingus Flight 712 left Cork Airport for Heathrow. However, 25 minutes into the short journey, it sent a distress message to air traffic control which stated: “12,000 feet descending, spinning rapidly.”
The plane subsequently crashed into the sea off Tuskar Rock in Wexford, killing all 61 passengers and crew onboard.
The exact cause of the tragedy remains a mystery, leading to much speculation over the last 55 years.
Titled The Tusker Rock Tragedy, RTÉ’s new documentary will see the family and friends of those onboard tell their story of loss and the theories of what happened on that fateful day.
“This is a heartbreaking documentary about the worst crash in Irish aviation history and the ripple effect of one afternoon in 1968 when hundreds of people’s lives were changed forever,” reads the synopsis.
“The families and loved ones of the deceased who participate in this documentary want to give their testimony before it is all forgotten.
“They don’t want their loved ones brushed out of history.
“Through the voices of the victims’ families, aircraft experts and investigators, we will revisit a tragedy that shook the entire nation.”
In the documentary, Jerome McCormick – the brother of Aer Lingus Flight 712 passenger Neill McCormick – tells viewers:
“I would like for everyone to understand after 54 years not the mechanical side, but the emotional side of the whole event.
“That’s very, very important I think.”
The programme will air on Monday, 10 October at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.
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