Pilot blamed himself for Cork air crash

A British pilot who flew planes on behalf of Manx2.com has taken his own life.

Twenty-nine-year-old Oliver Lee flew the Belfast-Cork route twice a day for Flightline BCN, which operated flights for the Isle of Man-based company, but left to join another airline days before the plane crash at Cork Airport in which six people died.

According to widespread reports in the United Kingdom media, Mr Lee believed the tragedy wouldn't have happened if he had been flying the route, as he was familiar with the foggy conditions often found at Cork.

He was reportedly found hanged in the stables of his family home in Yorkshire, last weekend.

His father David is quoted as saying the crash came as a shock to his son who knew Andrew Cantle, the co-pilot at the controls when the plane crashed, very well.

He said his son couldn't accept that the tragedy hadn't been his fault and there was nothing he could have done.

The Manx2.com charter flight crashed while making a third attempt to land, in foggy conditions, killing six of the twelve people on board, including the pilot and Mr Cantle.