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Man Attacks US Air Force C-130 Aircraft with Hatchet at Shannon Airport in Ireland
An unidentified man entered a restricted area at Shannon Airport in Ireland on April 11 and damaged a US Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft using a hatchet. Airport operations were suspended for about 25 minutes, delaying flights. The man, aged in his 40s, was arrested by Irish police, and an investigation into the security breach is underway.
Apr 11, 10:40 AM·2m read2 sources
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A man entered an unauthorized area at Shannon Airport in Shannon, County Clare, Ireland, on Saturday, April 11, and attacked a US Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft with a hatchet. m. local time.
The aircraft sustained extensive damage to its fuselage and wing.
No personnel were injured in the incident.
security raised the alarm after spotting the man in the restricted area on a remote taxiway.
First responders used mobile stairs to access the aircraft and detain the intruder. m. and is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in the Clare Tipperary Division.
A spokesperson for the US Air Force in Europe-Africa stated that details of the damage would not be released for operational security reasons. Local authorities, including airport police, fire and rescue services, Gardaí, and Irish Defence Forces personnel on duty, responded to the scene. Additional uniformed Gardaí and armed detectives later attended.
“We can confirm a US Air Force C-130 was damaged in an incident today at Shannon Airport, Ireland.”
suspended operations for about 25 minutes, delaying flights. Two departing flights were delayed, and one arriving aircraft was placed in a holding pattern. The arriving flight landed about 20 minutes after clearance. A spokesperson for Shannon Airport Group confirmed that operations have now resumed normally.
Airport police launched an investigation into how the man breached the perimeter and initiated a patrol of the facility's border. Google Street View images show a single 6-foot barbed wire-topped fence separating a publicly accessible road from the airfield in some areas.
