It told investigators it "did not have specialist aviation expertise within the department to discharge such oversight" of the Irish Aviation Authority. The department responsible for aviation safety admitted it did not understand aviation. Three were directed at the minister: ensure the department has "sufficient specialist aviation expertise," conduct a detailed review of IAA oversight mechanisms, and periodically review in-house technical capabilities. Before the crash, the department's lack of aviation expertise was a gap in the system. The four crew members of Rescue 116 intentionally flew, at night, into a North Atlantic storm, so others might live.

Source: Irish Examiner March 11, 2026 01:50 UTC