Piper plane passenger found dead

The Isabela Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office on Sunday revealed that the lone passenger believed to have survived the Piper plane crash earlier reported missing was found dead near the wreckage area.

Isabela PDRRMO head Constante Foronda said that the body of a woman was found around 9:15 a.m. by K-9 trackers about 200 meters down the mountain slope from the plane wreckage.

Foronda added that the victim's remains are currently being brought to an area where it could be recovered by a Philippine Air Force helicopter and will be flown to the Tactical Operations Group 2 in Cauayan City, Isabela where a funeral vehicle will be waiting.

The Isabela PDRRMO chief said that the victim's husband decided that the casket will be flown to the municipality of Palanan by the operator of the ill-fated aircraft.

"It took more than 3 hours before we could release the information because we still had to notify the family of the passenger first," Foronda said.

To recall, the Piper PA-32-300 of Fliteline Airways and operated by Cyclone Airways departed Cauayan Airport at 9:39 a.m. on 30 November 2023 and was supposed to arrive at Palanan Airport at 10:23 a.m.

Authorities found the missing plane in the vicinity of Barangay Casala in San Mariano municipality last 5 December and the body of the pilot was discovered on 7 December 2023.

Foronda earlier said the lone passenger was not in the vicinity of the crash site but "she appears to have survived the crash as indicated by a makeshift shelter that she presumably put up near the wreckage."