VISIBILITY at Cork Airport was so bad that airport traffic controllers couldn't see the Manx2.com flight which crashed.

That's according to Donie Mooney from the Ireland Aviation Authority who told the BBC conditions were poor.

He said: "From an air traffic control point of view, because the visibility was so low, the controllers couldn't see the crash site. They heard it happen but couldn't see it – that was the level of the visibility."

The flight which was travelling from Belfast to Cork crashed shortly before 10am this morning. Three people have been confirmed dead. Unconfirmed reports indicate that six people have died.

Mr Mooney called the incident a "horrible tragedy" and said it was his understanding that the 10 passengers and two crew onboard had all been extracted from the fuselage after being trapped upside down.

A spokesperson for Manx2.com said: "Our first priority must be to help the families of those people who lost their lives and those who are seriously injured."

Also see: Manx2.com issues statment on fatal plane crash

              Three people confirmed dead after Manx2.com flight crashes