A thorough investigation was launched immediately to determine the circumstances that led to the crash of a helicopter with registration number RP-C3424, which killed its pilot, in Guimba, Nueva Ecija over the weekend.
In a statement on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said initial reports indicate that the plane departed Manila on Saturday morning (February 1). It was on its way to Baguio to drop a passenger.
The helicopter then took off from Baguio at 11:51 a.m. for Binalonan, landing at 12:05 p.m. for refueling. Binalonan Airport officials noted that the aircraft experienced difficulty restarting its engine before departing at 4:30 p.m.
Between 7:04 to 7:14 on Saturday evening, the Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center (PARCC) detected six emergency locator transmitter (ELT) alerts, CAAP said in its report.
“Authorities later confirmed with the Guimba Police Station that the crash site was located in Purok Arimungmong, Barangay San Miguel. The lone occupant, a female pilot, did not survive the incident,” it added.
Investigators from the CAAP Aircraft Accident and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) are currently on-site to find out the reasons behind the crash.