MANILA – The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) needs to verify first if the plane wreckage found near the Mayon Volcano on Sunday is the same aircraft that has been reported missing in Albay province since Saturday.
In a Laging Handa briefing on Monday, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said they have received information about the sighting of an aircraft in Barangay Sirangay, Camalig town, Albay on Sunday. Because CAAP had only received aerial or drone shots of the wreckage, Apolonio said they cannot confirm whether it was the missing aircraft.
"(CAAP) investigators need to see the crash site, but they were not able to go there yesterday due to bad weather. Earlier today they were able to search the area to determine if it was the same aircraft," he said.
Apolonio added that investigators need to see the aircraft first to determine the cause of the crash.
Parts of the aircraft need to be reconstructed for the investigators to determine whether the problem was mechanical or the weather, or if it was a pilot error. "We really could not say, unless the parts of the aircraft could be retrieved," he said.
"(The team) was able to secure a permit from Phivolcs as the crash site is a permanent danger zone. The challenge, however, is the heavy rains," Apolonio added.
Apolonio said the investigators would also probe why the aircraft went to the no-fly zone area.
A Cessna 340 plane with registry number RP-C2080 went missing a few minutes after take off from the Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m. last Saturday.
Four people -- one pilot, one crew, and two passengers -- were on board the Manila-bound plane that was last contacted by the air traffic control at 6:46 a.m.
Meantime, a Cessna 206 plane carrying six people was also reported missing in Isabela province since Jan. 24. (PNA)
In a Laging Handa briefing on Monday, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said they have received information about the sighting of an aircraft in Barangay Sirangay, Camalig town, Albay on Sunday. Because CAAP had only received aerial or drone shots of the wreckage, Apolonio said they cannot confirm whether it was the missing aircraft.
"(CAAP) investigators need to see the crash site, but they were not able to go there yesterday due to bad weather. Earlier today they were able to search the area to determine if it was the same aircraft," he said.
Apolonio added that investigators need to see the aircraft first to determine the cause of the crash.
Parts of the aircraft need to be reconstructed for the investigators to determine whether the problem was mechanical or the weather, or if it was a pilot error. "We really could not say, unless the parts of the aircraft could be retrieved," he said.
"(The team) was able to secure a permit from Phivolcs as the crash site is a permanent danger zone. The challenge, however, is the heavy rains," Apolonio added.
Apolonio said the investigators would also probe why the aircraft went to the no-fly zone area.
A Cessna 340 plane with registry number RP-C2080 went missing a few minutes after take off from the Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m. last Saturday.
Four people -- one pilot, one crew, and two passengers -- were on board the Manila-bound plane that was last contacted by the air traffic control at 6:46 a.m.
Meantime, a Cessna 206 plane carrying six people was also reported missing in Isabela province since Jan. 24. (PNA)
