Memorial to Digital employees killed in Shannon air crash 50 years ago

Former Digital employees Jimmy Walsh and Padraig Glynn have joined forces with Jim Lalor, who was working in the control tower at Shannon when tragedy struck, to organise a special remembrance ceremony today (Thursday, November 12) marking the 50th anniversary of the crash.

A memorial cross and stone cairn have been placed close to the crash site, where wreaths will be laid in memory of the five who lost their lives on November 12, 1976.

Those who died were Digital employees David Chertkow (34) from America, Alberto Carlucci (30) from Italy, Michael Bateman (30) from the UK and Canadian Joanne Secord Davidson (30), along with their Swiss pilot Jean Bernard Cuendet (30).

Having worked at the company for 18 years, Jimmy Walsh, of Cappagh Road, said they wanted to mark the anniversary and remember those whose lives were cut so tragically short.

"So the three of us got together on this to remember the five lives lost," he said.

"It's very sad, they were just 30 years old."

For Jim Lalor, the tragedy is one that has stayed with him. He was working in the control tower at Shannon Airport that evening, and Jimmy highlighted how the accident had a profound impact on him.

"He was on duty that night in the tower and would have been talking to them on the radio," he explained. "The accident really impacted him."

The three men have made contact with most of the families of those who died, and Jimmy said they have been deeply touched by the efforts to remember their loved ones all these years later.

In 1976, the four Digital employees travelled to Galway for a quarterly meeting of the company's European Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) group.

The meeting, normally held in Geneva, was hosted on this occasion by Des McKane, Digital's OEM Manufacturing Business Manager in Galway, and took place at the Corrib Great Southern Hotel.

"It brought together the European marketing and management team with their Galway manufacturing colleagues to discuss business plans, production requirements and future product development," said Jimmy.

As well as attending meetings with colleagues at Digital's Ballybrit plant, the visitors enjoyed the social side of their stay in Galway, sharing meals and spending time with local staff.

"For those who met them, they were not simply visiting business executives but colleagues and friends," said Jimmy.

On the Friday evening, they were returning to Geneva via London aboard a Piper Cheyenne aircraft piloted by Swiss national Jean Bernard Cuendet (30).

However, shortly after taking off from Shannon Airport in dense fog, the aircraft veered to the left, ploughed through the airport perimeter fence, slid along a field and hit a stone wall bursting into flames in a fireball, killing all five on board.

The plane was destroyed on impact and landed 17 meters beyond the wall - where the memorial cairn and cross are now built.

Afterwards, the air crash investigation report said that "no one saw the crash". The fog was so dense that the wreckage was not located "until one and a quarter hours after the incident".

Original newspaper reports from the time cited seven victims. However, two people had a lucky escape because they didn't board the ill-fated plane.

Both Kevin Sherlock, who was originally from Galway and worked at the Geneva press office, and John Wade from the UK were on the original flight plan submitted by the pilot, but they did not fly.

Transcript recordings between the pilot and the control tower stop abruptly at 5:24pm.

The tower made repeated calls to the cockpit: "Hotel Bravo Lima Hotel Tango Tower are you airborne, Hotel Tango Tower to you read, Hotel Bravo Lima Hotel Tango Tower do you read," but received no response by 5.25pm.

The tragedy deeply affected both families and colleagues, including those in Galway who had spent time with them them during their visit.

For Jimmy, the anniversary has also brought back fond memories of his own years working with Digital, a company he believes made an enormous contribution to Galway.

"It was a great company to work for," he said. "It did so much for me, so it's time to give a little back."

He recalled how Digital's influence extended well beyond the jobs it provided at its Ballybrit plant, with the company supporting local colleges, charities and community initiatives.

It sponsored the Galway Plate and the Galway Arts Festival and also donated the senior citizens' park in Salthill, which has since been renamed.

Jimmy said it was a company that genuinely cared about its employees and the wider community, and he remembers his years there with great affection.

Today’s ceremony will see three wreaths laid in memory of those who died. One will be laid by Marian Moran, who met the visiting Digital employees at the Corrib Great Southern Hotel and socialised with them on their final evening in Galway.

John Burke, who met the visitors at Digital's Ballybrit facility, will also lay a wreath, while the third will be laid by Jim Lalor.

Former Digital employees have also produced a commemorative video about the tragedy, which they hope to make available on Vimeo in the coming days.

"The families are looking forward to the video of the laying of the wreaths," Jimmy said.

Meanwhile, a reunion of current and former employees of Digital and its successor companies will take place at Galway Rowing Club on Thursday, November 26, from 7pm.

Since Digital first opened in Galway in 1971, the company has been a constant presence in the city, becoming Compaq in 1998, Hewlett-Packard in 2002 and Hewlett Packard Enterprise in 2015.