CAAP

Bad weather halts search for missing Cessna plane

January 25, 2023 Jun I. Legaspi 783 views

SEARCH and rescue operations for the reported missing Cessna plane was temporarily halted Wednesday after lunch due to bad weather.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the six persons were on board including the pilot.

Eric Apolonio, in a report, said the SAR operations led by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Tactical Operation Group-2 will resume once the weather in the area improves.

CAAP said around 3:17 p.m., Tuesday January 24, 2023, the Cauayan Airport Tower reported to CAAP Head Office that a Cessna 206 type aircraft identified as RPC1174 did not arrive at its intended destination at the Maconacon Airport in Isabela.

Maconacon Airport is operated by its local government unit.

RPC1174 departed Cauayan Airport at 2: 15 p.m., January 24, 2023, and its last contact with the air traffic controller was at 2:19 p.m., when it was within the vicinity of Naguillian Bridge.

It was expected to arrive at the Maconacon Airport at 2:45 p.m.

At 3:15 p.m. communication search was initiated by Cauayan Tower. Due to lack of response from the aircraft (RPC1174), the Alert Level was elevated, and search and rescue operations commenced at around 4 p.m.

Due to the negative results of the communication search, Alert Level was again raised to Distress Phase (DETRESFA) at 4:12 p.m., which prompted full-scale search and rescue (SAR) operations.

A meeting between the members of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRMMC) in Cauayan City, Isabela regarding the continued SAR operations was conducted Wednesday January 25, 2023.

The SAR is led by the (PAF-TOG2)

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