Monday, January 28, 2008 4 safe after military chopper crashes
A PHILIPPINE Air Force (PAF) helicopter crashed in a mountain village of Balamban, Cebu Saturday afternoon.
The two pilots and two crew members were unharmed and were taken back to their camp by PAF personnel at 11 p.m. Saturday.
The PAF has yet to issue an official statement on what caused the accident.
A call to Gen. Arthur Mancenido, 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing (THW) commander, went unanswered, while Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base officials were also unavailable for comment.
Witnesses told the police that the Huey helicopter crashed in Sitio Mayana, Barangay Biasong at 5 p.m.
The incident followed the crash of two other helicopters in different areas of Cebu last year that led the PAF to temporarily ground all Huey helicopters.
In a text message to Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos, the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing said three of its helicopters left the air base for Silay City to perform formation training and to pick up personnel.
Practice
On their way back, one ran into engine trouble, stated a report sent to the Cebu Provincial Police Office headquarters.
Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay said there is a field in Sitio Mayana that the PAF uses for practice landing.
He said the Air Force chopper managed to land at the area and had already taken off to go back to the base when it lost power and dropped back to the ground.
The chopper landed on its side.
The two pilots, identified as Captains Arañez and Mosomos, and the two crew members who reportedly refused to divulge their names, were declared safe.
According to the Balamban Police Station’s report, the helicopter was wrecked.
Members of the 78th Infantry Battalion, Balamban policemen, civilian volunteers and barangay officials led by Barangay Captain Pascual Piloto secured the helicopter, as requested by the 205th THW.
Binghay said the terrain leading to Mayana is difficult to manage, which was why the crew members were not rescued until 11 p.m.
Record
Biasong is some seven kilometers from Balamban proper.
Last April 28, nine were killed while four were seriously injured when a Huey helicopter hit a high-tension wire and plowed into Humay-Humay Road in Barangay Gun-ob in Lapu-Lapu City.
The chopper was on a training flight at the South Road Properties and was heading back to the air base. Kite lines that got tangled in the chopper’s swash plates were eyed as the cause of the crash.
Barely a month after the grounding of all Huey UH-1H helicopters was lifted, another crashed in a Liloan town field. Luckily, there were no casualties.
In earlier interviews, PAF officials assured that all helicopters undergo periodic maintenance and are thoroughly inspected after every few hours of flight. (MEA)
