SHANNON, IRELAND — A major security investigation is underway at Shannon Airport after a man gained access to a restricted taxiway on Saturday morning and used a hatchet to strike a United States Air Force transport plane.
The Incident
The alarm was raised at approximately 9:45 AM when airport security spotted an intruder in a restricted area of the airfield. The man reportedly climbed onto the wing of a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules, part of the Missouri Air National Guard, which was parked on a remote taxiway.
Witnesses and social media footage described the individual using a tool (identified by sources as a hatchet) to strike the aircraft’s fuselage and wing. Airport police and the Shannon Airport fire and rescue service were the first to respond, followed by members of An Garda Síochána and the Irish Defence Forces already stationed at the facility.
Arrest and Response
To safely remove the individual from the aircraft, responders had to utilize a set of mobile stairs. A man in his 40s was subsequently detained and taken into custody at a Garda station in the Clare-Tipperary Division under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe confirmed the damage:
“We can confirm a U.S. Air Force C-130 from the 139th Airlift Wing was damaged in an incident today at Shannon Airport. The aircraft was en route to support a bilateral exercise in Poland. No personnel were injured.”
Operational Impact
The breach forced Shannon Airport to suspend all flight operations for roughly 25 minutes, from 9:50 AM to 10:15 AM.
- Departures: Two flights experienced minor delays.
- Arrivals: One flight from Lourdes was forced into a holding pattern before being cleared to land at 10:22 AM.
Authorities are currently patrolling the airport’s perimeter to determine exactly where the intruder bypassed the fencing. Investigations remain ongoing.
