Thursday, September 04, 2008 ‘Unusual’ engine sounds force chopper to land
A PHILIPPINE Air Force (PAF) Huey helicopter was forced to land in Camotes Island, Cebu yesterday afternoon after pilots and passengers detected an “unusual sound” in the engine.
The helicopter (body number 0225) landed in Barangay Pasian, San Francisco, Camotes at 1:10 p.m. shortly after leaving Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City. No one was reported hurt.
The incident occurred days after a PAF C-130 plane crashed in the Davao Gulf, killing all 11 passengers, including the two pilots on board.
Two helicopters, including the one that landed in Camotes Island, left the air base yesterday and headed to the 8th Infantry Division in Catbalogan, Samar to support combat operations by the Philippine Army against the New People’s Army (NPA).
Helicopter 0225 was boarded by Capt. Mark Anthony Fernandez, the pilot, and his co-pilot Lt. Apolonio John Pulgar and passengers Capt. Mark Allan Gabilan and Lt. Julibert Fabigue.
Repairs
Major Christopher Tampus, Central Command information officer, said a team was immediately sent to the island to check on the helicopter and make the necessary repairs.
Based on the report that reached Tampus’ office, the helicopter landed in a vacant space in Barangay Pasian.
The San Francisco Police Station, however, said the area where the helicopter landed is within Danao Lake, Barangay Union.
Local police helped the Air Force secure the premises to prevent kibitzers from getting near the helicopter.
Tampus said that when the helicopter will be declared safe to fly again, it will no longer proceed to Samar but will go back to its base in Mactan.
Tampus explained the precautionary landing was only meant to ensure that no untoward incident would happen.
Financial help
An investigation is still being conducted on the cause of the unusual sound in the helicopter’s engine.
DyAB Radyo Patrol reported last night that the helicopter flew back to the Mactan air base at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu City Government will give financial assistance to five of the PAF servicemen who died in the helicopter crash last week. The five are Lapu-Lapu City residents. The amount, however, still has to be decided.
The Lapu-Lapu City Council approved en masse yesterday the resolution jointly sponsored by Councilors Junard Chan, Eduardo Cuizon and Rodolfo Potot extending the city’s condolences to the families of the servicemen.
The council also assured financial assistance to five of them, being residents of the city.
No amount was mentioned in the resolution, but Assistant City Attorney Michael Dignos said Mayor Arturo Radaza is inclined to give P10,000 from his emergency funds.
The caskets of seven servicemen arrived last Monday at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base aboard a Fokker plane from Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
Of the seven, Staff Sergeant (Ssgt) Aldren Ilustrisimo, Ssgt Felix Pedro Patriaca, Ssgt. Petronilio Fernandez, Technical Sergeant Constantino Enrique Lobrigas and Ssgt.
Garry Denoso were confirmed to have homes in Lapu-Lapu City.
“These people are our real heroes so we have the moral obligation to support those they have left behind,” Chan said. (JST/AIV)
