PEOPLE IN Clondalkin had a lucky escape yesterday evening when a door from a military helicopter broke off and plummeted to the ground.
Nobody was hurt when the heavy object fell to earth in the grounds of a secondary school, RTÉ reports.
Reports of a large object falling from the sky began to emerge from Clondalkin just before 6pm yesterday, and further investigations found it to be a door from an Irish Air Corps helicopter which is used as part of Ireland's emergency services.
Dublin Live reports that the door narrowly missed children who were playing on the GAA pitches on the grounds of the school, and that witnesses began screaming in shock as it landed "with a thud" after plummeting from the sky.
It is understood that the AW139 helicopter had just completed a life-saving mission to a Dublin hospital when the incident occurred.
The Defence Forces have said that the helicopter in question was returning to Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel when the rear door detached and fell into the grounds of Moyle Park College, Dublin 22.
They confirmed there would be a full investigation into the incident by the Air Corp's flight safety division in order to ensure the dangerous incident does not happen again.
The Air Corp's emergency air service is continuing as normal today with a replacement aircraft and crew, and Gardaí have returned the helicopter door to the organisation.
