The pilot of the Piper Seneca plane that went missing in Isabela province was confirmed dead, while a female passenger was missing but believed to have survived, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced on Thursday.
“Around 11:20 a.m. today, para jumpers were already at the crash site, however, with limited communication signal. Unfortunately, the pilot of RP-C1234 was confirmed dead and the other passenger is still missing as of this time. Rescuing teams found signs that the passenger was able to camp out,” said CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio.
“Tomorrow, if the weather permits, the rescuers will bring the remains of the pilot to a helicopter landing zone, hoisted aboard, and then flown to the Tactical Operations Group 2 (TOG2) in Cauayan City,” Apolonio added.
He added that teams of K9 trackers were being fetched from their respective locations to be transported to ground zero.
“They will be flown and dropped near the wreckage. Starting at the site of the wreckage, the K9 trackers will then follow the path that the passenger took through the scent that she left on the vegetation that she passed by,” he said.
Key personnel of the Cauayan Airport under the supervision of CAAP Area 2 manager Mary Sulyn Sagorsor will continue monitor the on-going operations while airport and tower operations will extend assistance and open early as required.
The CAAP investigators reminded the teams who will be deployed to the crash site not to compromise the initial probe, and were instructed about the procedures to be taken from all applicable scenarios.
Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered showers or thunderstorms are expected in mainland Cagayan, Isabela due to easterlies and local thunderstorms, the weather bureau said.
Fliteline Airways will utilize its aircraft on Friday to pick up the rescue team at Palanan Airport for transport to the Cauayan Airport.
“Then they will be transported via Philippine Air Force helicopter to the established area near the crash site,” Apolonio said.
Isabela Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Constante Foronda said the rescuers reached the wreckage of the Piper plane, but “sadly, the pilot was found lifeless,”
Foronda said the lone passenger was not found in the vicinity but “she appears to have survived the crash as indicated by a makeshift shelter that she presumably put up near the wreckage.”
The plane, owned by Fliteline Airways and operated by Cyclone Airways, went missing after departing from Cauayan Airport on Thursday last week.
The aircraft, with registry number RP-C1234, left Cauayan around 9:39 a.m. on Nov. 30 and was supposed to land at the Palanan Airport at 10:23 a.m. The last communication with Cauayan Tower was around 9:50 a.m. Thursday morning.
It was found on Tuesday in the vicinity of Barangay Casala in San Mariano town.