Government rescue team and volunteers are searching for the missing pilot and student of a Beechcraft Baron 55 trainer aircraft that crashed after taking off Friday morning at San Jose Airport in Occidental Mindoro.
On Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines received reports that the wreckage of BE55 was located “43.52 km, south of Mindoro Straight.”
The aircraft is owned and operated by Orient Aviation Corp. with registry number RP-C9078 and on board was a Filipino pilot-in-command and a Saudia Arabian national student.
CAAP spokesman and chief information officer Eric Apolonio said the search and rescue team reported to the agency’s Operation Center that one of its aircraft, a Cessna Caravan seaplane, also found a bag with identification of the Pilot in command Capt. Jose Nelson Yapparcon around 11:28 a.m.
Further search reveals that around six small and big debris of the aircraft were found floating at 12:06 p.m.
“The whereabouts of the two passengers of the ill-fated aircraft, Capt. Yapparcon and student pilot Saudi national Abdullah Alsharif is still unascertained as of now,” said Apolonio.
CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco sent investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board to the crash site to conduct investigation and determine the cause of the incident.
Reports showed that the aircraft, after taking off at San Jose Airport around 8:13 a.m. of May 17, officials did not receive any information or report from the flight.
At 8:23 a.m., authorities found out that the last known position of the aircraft is at 16NM south of San Jose as reviewed on the radar blip.
Four groups are searching the area, as the Philippine Air Force sent its Angel 922 Helicopter, the Philippine Navy with a 310 Islander aircraft, a King Air private jet, and the Philippine Coast Guard searching the shoreline.