SAR ops continue to reach plane crash site near Mayon
THE search and rescue (SAR) operations to reach the wreckage site of the Cessna 340 (Caravan) aircraft in Albay continued on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
As of this writing, SAR team rescuers from the Philippine Army (PA) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are now traveling to the crash site on foot.
The first team of responders is now estimated to be 300 meters from the site based on a report of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Monday.
CAAP Spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the responders departed the Headquarters Tactical Operations Group 5 (HTOG5) at 7:08 a.m. (Feb. 22) for the drop-off point at Mayon Volcano, with the Philippine Air Force boarding an S-70i Black Hawk helicopter that dropped off the rescuers composed of 11 Army soldiers and six BFP personnel.
Investigators from the CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) confirmed on Tuesday that the wreckage captured by the SAR team surveying the area was that of the missing Cessna aircraft.
Once the wreckage site has been reached, and the passengers are identified, they will be airlifted to an undisclosed area for further medical assessment.
The Cessna aircraft (registry number RP-C2080), which is owned by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), went missing in Camalig, Albay, on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.
The aircraft took off from Bicol International Airport (BIA) at 6:43 a.m. and was supposed to arrive in Manila at 7:53 a.m. and was carrying a pilot, a crew, and two Australian passengers.
Apolonio said the AAIIB, Cessna (now Textron Aviation) aircraft had recorded 13 accidents, ten incidents, and 11 serious incidents over the last four years (2019-2023).
