An executive aircraft which crashed in France yesterday killing three people was familiar to ground crews at Shannon Airport. It had visited Shannon on a number of occasions, the most recent of which was last month.
The 25-year-old Gulfstream IV jet, with the tail number N823GA, was one of three owned and operated by US-based Universal Jet Aviation, which also has an office in London.
The long-range business aircraft is understood to have been repositioning from Nice to Le Castellet airport between the cities of Marseille and Toulon.
It arrived in Nice from Turkey and Greece in recent days, according to records.
The twin-engined aircraft is understood to have crashed into a wooded area at the end of the runway while landing. It broke into several pieces before bursting into flames.
Three Americans – two men, aged 61 and 24, and a 30-year-old woman – died in the crash. It is understood that all three were crew members and believed to be the pilot, co-pilot and cabin aide.
The airport, located in the heart of the French Riviera and the largest private airfield in the region, is frequently used by celebrities with homes nearby, as well as by business people. The aircraft visited Shannon as recently as June 24th, having arrived from Opa-Locka Executive Airport in Miami Florida.