Tuesday, May 08, 2007 PAF lifts grounding of Huey helicopters
THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) lifted yesterday the order grounding UH-1H Huey helicopters even though the investigation of the crash in Lapu-Lapu City last April 28 has not been finalized yet.
Major Gen. Horacio Tolentino, PAF commanding general, said the 41 remaining Huey helicopters are now allowed to fly because their engines were found to be in good condition.
The engine of the helicopter involved in a crash that killed seven civilians and two soldiers was found to be without defect and was still running when the chopper hit an electric post, then plowed the Humay-Humay Road in Barangay Basak.
Focus of probe
The investigation is now focused on why the propeller of the chopper did not function, causing it to fall while on its way back to the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base after a training flight.
Although Tolentino divulged in a press conference last April 29 that they found strings of a kite in the helicopter’s swash plate, he said they are not yet concluding that this caused the crash. He said all the details will be included in the investigation report.
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Assistant Secretary Nilo Jatico, who heads the Air Transportation Office (ATO), said that even his agency has found the engines of Huey helicopters in good condition. He said there is no reason to further ground them.
Jatico, who also served as major general of PAF before he became ATO chief, said Huey helicopters are better than other models even if some of them were used during the Vietnam-American war in the 1970s.
Jatico said ATO is only responsible for civilian aircrafts and the AFP has the sole authority to investigate incidents involving their aircrafts.
Assistance
But the PAF authorities requested its assistance in the investigation to make the result more credible.
“This is where we come in. We are looking for all possible angles of the incident,” Jatico said.
He said that the ATO and PAF will come out with a joint resolution on the result of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Tolentino, who provided immediate assistance to the families of the victims a day after the incident, said that PAF will continue helping them until their lives will normalize after the tragedy.
In his various assignments throughout the country in the past years, Tolentino said he initiated medical and dental missions that benefited civilians and livelihood projects for the soldiers. (EOB)
