March 24, 1968

On this day in 1968, Aer Lingus flight 712 crashed into the sea near Tuskar Rock, County Wexford. All 61 passengers and crew were killed. A two year investigation proved unfruitful, and the official cause of the crash is still undetermined. Some still speculate that the plane was shot down by a British experimental missile, as Aberporth, in nearby West Wales, was at the time the most advanced British missile testing station. Others believe the crash may have been caused by a mid-air collision between the plane and a French-built military aircraft which was training with the Irish Air Corps. However, it is commonly understood to have been the unfortunate result of structural failure, perhaps caused by a bird strike.