CONCEPCION, Tarlac — A recreational ultralight aircraft piloted by 19-year-old John Paul Boiles crashed into a rice field in Barangay Panalicsican on Saturday morning, killing both Boiles and his 18-year-old passenger, Joana Ruth Denoza.

The Tarlac Provincial Police Office confirmed the fatalities, noting this as one of the youngest aviation-related deaths in the province. Witnesses saw the single-engine, two-seater plane circling before suddenly losing altitude and crashing around 11 a.m. Both victims were rushed to Concepcion District Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival.

Authorities, led by Police Lt. Col. Philip Flores Antang, are working with aviation experts and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to investigate the cause. Initial reports suggest possible mechanical failure, with weather and pilot experience also under review.

Locals expressed shock, recalling the engine sputtering before the crash. Boiles, an Angeles City native and aviation enthusiast, had prior flight training, while Denoza from Macabebe, Pampanga, was on her first ultralight flight. Tributes described them as “adventurous souls.”