WWII Catalina in Fermanagh Seaplane Festival accident
A Catalina flying boat has been damaged in an accident at the Fermanagh Seaplane Festival.
The plane drifted onto a moored yacht after the pilot had cut the engines close to shore. No-one was hurt and the damage is repairable, but it could be another week before it is able to fly back to Paris. A second Catalina took off safely on Monday morning to return to England. The planes were taking part in the event at the former wartime RAF base at Killadeas on Lower Lough Erne. Catalinas at the base played a crucial role protecting Allied convoys during the World War II. A secret deal with the Irish Republic allowed the planes to fly through Irish airspace. They flew along a route that became known as the Donegal corridor - a short-cut which linked Lough Erne with the Atlantic Ocean and extended the range of the aircraft.