AN official from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines-Davao (CAAP-Davao) announced that there were no missing or unidentified aircraft in Davao City and that all of the aircraft in the city that have known traffic were all accounted for.
Rex Obcena, manager of CAAP-Davao, told SunStar Davao in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon, March 6, 2024, that there was an activated Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), but it does not automatically mean that there was an accident.
According to Obcena, all aircraft under their facility were accounted for, even the agri-sprayers or the small sprayer aircraft.
“Katung transmission in all probability kung baga murag anomalous transmission so probably there is an operator, aircraft operator nato nga part na gyud na usahay sa maintenance nila gina-check ang operability sa ilahang mga tanan nga radio and kanang ELT included (The transmission in all probability might be an anomalous transmission so probably there was an operator, aircraft operator, that was part of their maintenance and they checked the operability of their radio and ELT included),” he said.
He said that the aircraft was approximately at Runway No. 5, covering an area of five to six nautical miles (NM), which means that it was between Matina and the downtown area.
As of writing, the active ELT has already been turned off.
Obcena then clarified that there might have been miscommunication between CAAP and the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO).
The matter arose when the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) released an advisory on their Facebook page about an active ELT of an unknown aircraft that was reported at 9:10 a.m. on the same day. All the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) along the upland portion of Toril were directed to report to CDRRMO or dial 911 if they saw the aircraft in their area of responsibility.
Later that afternoon, the office announced that all inbound and outbound flights were "all accounted for" and advised the public not to panic.
“If anyone sees any changes in their area of responsibility they are advised to dial 911 and respond to it proactively,” the office stated on their post.
Meanwhile, the Talomo Police Station immediately responded and went along the Davao Coastal Road to look for the aircraft whose ELTs were supposed to be active. RGP