THE Philippine Air Force said the emergency landing of the Sokol helicopter in Puerto Princesa City on Tuesday was due to an engine malfunction.
“The initial report is one of the two engines of the chopper had experienced malfunction that forced the pilots to have emergency landing. It was not a crash land as reported,” Colonel Antonio Francisco said of the incident that injured soldiers and policemen, including Mimaropa regional police director Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor.
He said the emergency landing happened in the middle of a rice field but the chopper ended up on its side because of the uneven terrain.
“The initial report is that the main rotor is damaged,” Francisco said. “We’re still waiting the final report of the investigation.”
The incident was reported Tuesday by the Western Command shortly before 3 p.m. in Sitio Sabang in Barangay Cabayugan.
Mayor and his company were conducting an aerial inspection of the area in preparation for the Nov. 10 Asean Chiefs of Justice Conference in Palawan when the chopper encountered engine malfunction.
The passengers only suffered minor injuries, according to Westcom spokesperson Lieutenant Cherryl Tindog.
Pending the result of the investigation, Francisco said all the other Sokol aircraft have not yet been ordered grounded.
The brand new choppers were delivered during the time former President Benigno Aquino III by PZL Zwidnik-manufacturer in Poland.
In August 2014, one of the Sokol choppers with Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Ricardo Visaya, then the commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, and other government officials on board, crashed shortly after it took off at Camp Ranao in Marawi City.
The Polish manufacturer delivered the eight brand new W3 Sokols worth P2.8 billion to PAF in 2012.
