A MAN in his late 40s has died after a light aircraft crash in Co Longford.
He was the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraddft which crashed during an attempted landing on Sunday.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident happened at around 5.30pm in Abbeyshrule Airfield just off the N55 Athlone to Granard Road.
Emergency services are still at the scene.
A Garda spokesman said the Aviation Authority had been informed and the scene was being preserved for further investigation.
Last year two men miraculously escaped when their helicopter smashed into a pub in the same area.
Dramatic video footage filmed by locals and on CCTV captured the moment the Gazelle propeller clipped the Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule and spun the tail into the timber frame.
Bar owner Edward McGoey said people were stunned another air accident had happened.
He said: "People are shocked and very sad.
"There is a big investigation going on and the air accident investigators are there now."
