Piper plane crash probe on

BAGUIO CITY — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is set to conduct a swift and intensive investigation to what caused the crash of the ill-fated Piper plane into the mountainous part of Isabela Province last 30 November 2023.

CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio on Monday disclosed that they are already in the process of retrieving three important evidence to determine what really happened to the small aircraft, which saw its pilot and lone passenger dead.

He revealed that evidence to be retrieved are the Emergency Locator Transmitter, the Engine and the Propeller. He said these three are very important to determine the cause of the crash.

To recall, search and rescue teams retrieved the remains of the lone passenger identified as Emma Escalante on Sunday morning which was found by K-9 trackers 200 meters from the area where the plane crashed.

The body of Pilot Captain Levy N. Abul II was found near the crash site last 7 December 2023.

Earlier reports said that the Piper plane took off from Cauayan Airport in Isabela at 9:30 a.m. on 30 November and was expected to land at Palanan Airport but at 11:08 a.m., the Cauayan tower received a distress message "DETRESFA."

The estimated last position of the small plane based on the Flight Radar 24's latest recorded blip is approximately 29.09 nautical miles east of Cauayan Airport.

The wreckage was found on 5 December 2023 but rescuers had a hard time because of the terrain and the weather condition.

According to Apolonio, CAAP investigators will proceed to the crash site to retrieve the evidence.