Tributes are being paid this week to Salthill man Markus Casey, who was tragically killed when his plane crashed in Mayo on Sunday.

Flying enthusiast Markus was piloting his Beechcraft 77 two-seater aircraft from Knock Airport to the Weston Aerodrome in Dublin on Sunday evening when he got into difficulty shortly after take-off.

An investigation is currently underway into the circumstances surrounding the accident, although it is understood that Markus had radioed into Knock Airport to say he was in difficulty shortly before the accident occurred. He had turned the plane to return to Knock but was killed instantly when the plane crashed into a field near Kilmovee, County Mayo. The only other passenger, John Murphy, is currently in a critical condition at Mayo General Hospital.

Markus was very well known in aviation circles and ran a light aircraft maintenance company, Shoreline Aviation. He also had a keen interest in archaeology and carried out many surveys for local authorities, including Galway City Council.

Since his tragic death, many have paid tribute to the Salthill engineer, describing him as a 'lovely man with a wicked yet gentle sense of humour'. Sympathies were also extended to his family and a minute's silence was observed at a meeting of Galway City Council on Monday night.

Speaking in the aftermath of the accident, Mr Liam Scollan, Group Managing Director with Ireland West Airport Knock, recalled Markus as a valued friend and colleague of the airport.

"Markus had won the respect of everyone, for his professionalism, his tremendous knowledge and vision of private aviation both in this country and abroad, and his warm personable approach towards everyone he met.

"His friendly wave and calm good humour at all times were part of what made him special and he is sadly missed both as a friend and as a business colleague. Our prayers and thoughts are with the passenger who was on board yesterday's flight, and we hope that he makes a full and speedy recovery," he said.

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