Yep, one.
Sunday September 10 2006
An Irish stunt pilot miraculously escaped death after parachuting into the sea following an horrific mid-air collision which killed another pilot.
The tragedy occurred during an air show in Malta as both planes collided over the sea.
Dublin dentist Eddie Goggins (37) was able to parachute to safety seconds after his Extra 200 single-engine collided with another single-engine plane.
The second plane, which had its tail sheared off, plummeted into the sea in front of thousands of horrified on-lookers off Grand Harbour in the AeroGP aerobatics event on the island yesterday morning.
Mr Goggins, a seasoned stunt pilot, who is the reigning Irish National Aerobatics Champion, afterwards stood upright in a rescue dingy and waved to the crowds to let them know he was okay, according to an eyewitness.
The pilot of the red and blue Yak 55 aircraft, Swedish aerobatic champion Gabor Varga, died of his injuries later in hospital.
Known in flying circles as 'The Wild One', Mr Varga was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for performing 256 aerobatic loops in a single hour.
Mr Goggins, a married father-of-two from Stepaside, south Co Dublin, was rushed to St Luke's Hospital on the island and was treated for minor injuries.
The accident took place as the planes were making a series of complicated manoeuvres, including an air race, one-on-one dogfights, target bombing and flying duels.
His attendance at the event was a last-minute decision, according to a flying website, which noted that Mr Goggins was invited to participate on Tuesday night and flew from Ireland to Malta in the small plane the following day.
Kieran O'Connor, owner of the National Flight Centre in Leixlip, Co Kildare, where Mr Goggins works part time as an instructor, said that while it's tragic that the other pilot died, he is delighted that Mr Goggins came out of the ordeal relatively unscathed.
But he said he is not surprised that he managed to survive, noting that the young pilot, who began flying at 18, is one of the most skilled in the country.
"I have no doubt that because of his skills that he was able to survive," he said last night.
The fatal manoeurve that killed Varga was staged for "maximum TV coverage" according to an Irish flying website.
A flying enthusiast notes that both planes carried several mini cameras.
Even though i have heard that they instole special ejecting systems.Aparently not to this one
