MANILA — In a devastating turn of events, the pilot of the missing Piper PA-32-300 plane that vanished after departing from Cauayan Airport in Isabela province has been confirmed dead, according to the local government.
The Incident Management Team (IMT) in Isabela, diligently working on the search and rescue mission, discovered the wreckage of the light aircraft, reaching it at 11 a.m. on Thursday (07 Dec 2023)
The IMT shared the somber news, stating, “Sadly, the pilot was found lifeless.”
The focus of the rescue operation has now shifted to locating the lone passenger, who, intriguingly, appears to have survived the crash.
Evidence of her presence emerged with the discovery of a makeshift shelter near the wreckage.
K9 trackers are poised to be deployed and dropped near the crash site to aid in the search for the missing passenger.
Weather permitting, the pilot’s remains will be transported to a helicopter landing zone on Friday, where they will be hoisted aboard and flown to Cauayan City.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has enlisted Fliteline Airways to utilize their aircraft for the rescue team’s transport from Palanan Airport to Cauayan Airport on Friday.
From there, a Philippine Air Force helicopter will facilitate their transfer to the designated area near the crash site.
Despite earlier setbacks caused by adverse weather conditions, authorities are determined to proceed with the mission. The light plane, identified by registry number RP-C1234, had gone missing last Thursday, and its suspected crash site was located on Tuesday.
As the rescue effort intensifies, cloudy skies with scattered showers or thunderstorms are anticipated in mainland Cagayan and Isabela, presenting additional challenges for the search and rescue teams on the ground.
(ai/mnm)