Door Falls off Minister's Chopper!

[Eoghan Mag]

A helicopter carrying Minister for Tourism Martin Cullen was forced to make an emergency landing in Killarney this afternoon.

Mr Cullen had just finished addressing the annual conference of the Irish Hotels Federation and the Air Corps AW 139 had taken off from the grounds of the Malton Hotel in Killarney.

The left door of the helicopter fell off at a height of 150 metres as it flew over Killarney National Park in Castlerosse.

AdvertisementThe helicopter made an emergency landing nearby at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club.

No one was injured in the incident.

Witnesses say Mr Cullen, who was flying with an assistant and a crew of three, was shaken following the incident.

He continued his journey by road to Kerry Airport from where a second AW 139 helicopter, which was diverted from a training exercise in Cork, picked him up and is returning him to Dublin.

The Defence Forces said in a statement that the aircraft is on the ground until a Military Airworthiness Inspection Team and technicians from Air Corps HQ examine it.

This team will fly to Kerry to assess the helicopter and it will be moved after the inspection.

The passengers had boarded the helicopter through the right-hand side door before take off.

The same helicopter brought Minister Cullen from Waterford to Killarney this morning and was returning to Dublin when the incident occurred.

According to the Defence Forces, the AW 139 can fly with doors open under certain speeds, but this is normally in military and winching roles.


If I was the pilot I might have just accidently tipped the helicopter to the side that was open and see what happened!!

[comethekingdom]

If a few E voting machines fell out, it wouldn't be a bad thing either!

[Donagh]

The Minister for Tourism, I assume that a Junior Ministry, gets flown to Kerry from Dublin, picked up by helicopter with a crew of three, gets flown out to a five star hotel, picked up again by helicopter for his connecting flight back to Dublin - in the middle of the biggest recession to hit in God knows how long. Would be better hiring ten or twelve boys from SR Technics who'd be a hell of a lot more useful to the state than this gombeen p***k.

[Lecale2]

I like what you're saying Donagh.

[Bogball XV]

The Minister for Tourism, I assume that a Junior Ministry, gets flown to Kerry from Dublin, picked up by helicopter with a crew of three, gets flown out to a five star hotel, picked up again by helicopter for his connecting flight back to Dublin - in the middle of the biggest recession to hit in God knows how long. Would be better hiring ten or twelve boys from SR Technics who'd be a hell of a lot more useful to the state than this gombeen p***k.

Nope, an economy such as ours which makes fcuk all and has fcuk all resources has to elevate the tourist dollar/pound whatever to the status of full minister I'm afraid.

[muppet]

The Minister for Tourism, I assume that a Junior Ministry, gets flown to Kerry from Dublin, picked up by helicopter with a crew of three, gets flown out to a five star hotel, picked up again by helicopter for his connecting flight back to Dublin - in the middle of the biggest recession to hit in God knows how long. Would be better hiring ten or twelve boys from SR Technics who'd be a hell of a lot more useful to the state than this gombeen p***k.

He has a ministerial car with a chauffeur. We have PSO (public service order) routes whereby the Government pay Ryanair (it used to be Aer Arann and before that it was Aer Lingus) to fly to Kerry, but our man has to use an Aer Corps helicopter.

If they behave like this to speak to the Hotels Federation (FFS!) what chance do we have that they will steer the economy to recovery. This is actually more outrageous that people think. But Irish people will shrug their shoulders and say 'shur what can we do?'

BTW it doesn't do a lot for the image of the public sector to see the door falling off either. 

[Pangurban]

I would like to hear the ensuing phone conversation between Ministers Cullen and O Dea

[Eoghan Mag]

Ministers are great for going to openings. I bet this was one opening he didn't expect! 

[Billys Boots]

Just for the record, Tourism is worth about €6-7B annually to the Irish economy.  We might sniff about it, but it's still an important product to us economically.

[muppet]

Just for the record, Tourism is worth about €6-7B annually to the Irish economy.  We might sniff about it, but it's still an important product to us economically.

Billy I wasn't sniffing at the tourism industry, I was sniffing about how much we pay just to move the minister around each year.

If find it hard to see how that contributes €6-7B to the Irish economy. In addition the Hotels, more than possibly any other property, seem to benefit from generous tax shelters.

[muppet]

€8,130 was the cost of our Minister travelling from Waterford to Traleeaawaggawaggaland.

Please someone defend public spending before I spontaneously combust.

[magpie seanie]

Just for the record, Tourism is worth about €6-7B annually to the Irish economy.  We might sniff about it, but it's still an important product to us economically.

So why have we the weakest of weakest links as the Minister over this important area? The more you look at things the worse they are. As for the recession - I'm a positive person by nature but I have to say that most people have no idea how bad this is/will get.

[mylestheslasher]

€8000 to transport the biggest idiot of a minister in the current government. I reckon when that door came of the pilot should have given him a kick so that he'd follow it. On a serious note, how can the government expect people to make sacrifices when ministers so blatently throw money away. Its clear some of them have simply not got the message of how bad things are either that or they think they are immune.

[shay]

They are immune.The greens are so desperate for power that they'ii even tolerate that useless cnut.