A runway is being built at Mallow Racecourse to allow a Mexican pilot who made a forced landing there leave for home.
On 18 April 1983, Captain Ruben Ocana flying a Gulfstream II made an unexpected landing at Mallow Racecourse in County Cork.
Work to lay a temporary runway at the racecourse to enable the stranded twin engine jet take off began on 7 May 1983, but has been hampered by bad weather. The cost of laying the runway is understood to be about £200,000.
The area in Mallow once known as Navigation Road is now,
Known locally by the wags as Mallow Airport.
To date a base of stones has been laid for the 3,000 foot long and 36 foot wide runway. When the weather improves sufficiently, this will be topped with a tarmacadam covering. The runway construction work has been a boost to local industry.
Captain Ruben Ocana will fly the Mexican jet valued at £7 million to Shannon Airport, his original destination before he headed to Cork and made his emergency landing in Mallow.
Now a local personality, Ruben Ocana spent the day reviewing the situation with his crew at Shannon Airport. With work to get his plane airborne likely to take another week, Captain Ruben Ocana plans to attend his first race meeting in Mallow before heading for home in Mexico.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 12 May 1983. The reporter is Tom MacSweeney.
