Pilot, crew killed in Air Force helicopter crash

National

A PILOT and five crew members were killed when a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter conducting a relief mission crashed on Tuesday night, Nov. 4.

The bodies were recovered around 9 p.m. in Loreto town, Agusan del Sur, a report by Inquirer.net stated.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) withheld the identities of the fatalities pending notification of their respective families.”

EastMinCom said that after the recovery of the bodies of the victims, troops from the 60th Infantry Battalion and the 10th Infantry Division secured the crash site to ensure the safety of the area.

The Super Huey helicopter crashed while conducting a relief mission in areas affected by Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi).

Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the aircraft was carrying two commissioned officers and three enlisted personnel.

“Ongoing investigation still, sir. We’re waiting for the results from the response team,” Basco told reporters.

The helicopter left the Tactical Operations Group (TOG) 11 in Davao City and was headed for TOG 10 in Butuan City to assist in humanitarian and disaster response operations when it crashed.

The report stated that communication with the Super Huey helicopter was lost around 11:56 a.m., shortly before the crash, prompting the military to immediately conduct a search and rescue operation.(MyTVCebu)