MALOLOS CITY—The father who lost his wife, mother-in-law and three children when a six-seater light aircraft crashed into their house in Plaridel, Bulacan Saturday morning is pleading for legal assistance after getting no certainty as to who will be held accountable for the incident.
“I hope a lawyer could help us because it has been more than 24 hours but those who were responsible for the accident have not communicated with us,” Noel dela Rosa told Manila Standard.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines immediately issued a bulletin announcing to the media that all planes of Lite Air Express are grounded pending the result of crash probe to be conducted by the CAAP’s Flight Safety and Inspectorate Service.
Manila Standard learned from the Santiago family, a longtime resident in Brgy. Lumangbayan, that the plane sounded in trouble as they heard popping noises before it plunged down.
All five passengers aboard the single-engine Apache 23 turbo aircraft died on impact after the plane crashed on the roof of Dela Rosa’s house in Purok Tres, Barangay Lumang Bayan in Plaridel.
The bodies of the pilot, Ruel Melloria, and chief mechanic Romeo Huenda, and three passengers—flight engineer Meljun Melgar, student-pilots Elisha Necesario, and Maria Vera Pagaduan—have all been retrieved by their families.
Killed in the Dela Rosa’s household were his mother-in-law Luisa Santos, 75; his wife, Rissa, 37; and children: John Noel, 17; Timothy, 10; and Krissa Nhoelle, 7.
Their bodies, according to the father who was at work when the accident happened, were all burned and mangled beyond recognition.
The closed coffins of the five victims now lie in state at the Parokya ni Santiago Apostol chapel a few meters away from the Lumang Bayan Barangay Hall. They will be buried on Tuesday.