Air Force deploys teams to Piper crash site

The Philippine Air Force disclosed on Thursday that a team of parajumpers were deployed to the crash site of the general aviation Piper aircraft which went missing last month and was located in Isabela on 5 December.

In a statement, the PAF said that two PAF search-and-rescue helicopters, a 'Sokol' and Huey aircraft conducted search-and-rescue operations in the vicinity of Barangay Casala, San Mariano, Isabela.

"The 'Sokol' aircraft conducted hoist operations to insert a team of Air Force parajumpers and members of the Bureau of Fire Protection," said the PAF.

It added that despite mountainous terrain, tall trees and strong winds, the PAF pilots managed to insert the rescuers a few hundred meters from the crash site.

The ill-fated aircraft went missing after departing from Cauayan Airport around 9:39 a.m. on 30 November 2023. It was supposed to arrive at Palanan Airport at 10:23 a.m. of the same day.

In other developments, the Incident Management Team reported to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines that the RP-C1234's pilot was officially declared dead, while the passenger is still missing as the rescue team discovered signs that the passenger was able to camp out.

The CAAP said that the rescuers will bring the pilot's remains to a helicopter landing zone today and will be flown to the TOG2 in Cauayan City.

Teams of K9 trackers are currently being retrieved from their current sites and transported to TOG2 and will be dropped off close to the wreckage via helicopter to follow the passenger's path through the scent marks she left on the foliage she passed.

Meantime, all key personnel of Cauayan Airport, under CAAP Area 2 Manager Mary Sulyn Sagorsor, will continue the needed response to the ongoing SAR operations and the airport and tower operations will extend and open early as required.

Fliteline Airways will use their aircraft today to pick up the rescue team at Palanan Airport and take them to Cauayan Airport and will be transported via PAF helicopter to the established area near the crash site.