Teodoro: PAF asset upgrades urgent
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday stressed the urgent need to modernize the country’s search-and-rescue and air mobility assets following the fatal crash of a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter in Agusan del Sur province during a disaster response mission.
Teodoro said the ill-fated helicopter carrying six airmen was assisting in post-typhoon relief and assement when it went down in Loreto town, Agusan del Sur, on Tuesday morning.
“The lesson really is that the upgrading of our search-and-rescue assets should really be fast-tracked,” Teodoro told reporters in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
He said the Department of National Defense (DND) expects five new S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to be commissioned soon, with another five to arrive by year-end. The DND is also exploring the acquisition of drones for disaster assessment through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Local Government Modernization Center.
“Because right now, the Philippine Air Force assets are still heavily deployed. So, those are the preventions that we will do,” Teodoro said, noting the need to strengthen coordination between PAF and disaster management agencies.
Investigation
Col. Ma. Christina Basco, PAF spokesperson, said an aircraft accident board had been activated to determine the cause of the crash while the Super Huey helicopter was conducting rapid damage assessment and needs analysis operations in areas hit by Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi).
“The aircraft accident board will look into all possible factors—weather, mechanical, and human,” Basco said at a press briefing at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. “We will wait for the results of the investigation before drawing any conclusions.”
Basco said the aircraft went down while on a humanitarian mission coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Eastern Mindanao Command. The helicopter had taken off from Davao City along with two Black Hawks and one Bell aircraft bound for Butuan City when communication was lost.
“The other aircraft in the formation traced the location of the Super Huey after communication was lost and later confirmed the crash site,” she said.
Cleared
A team of soldiers on Wednesday recovered six cadavers from a hill at Barangay Sabud in Loreto where the PAF’s Super Huey helicopter crashed on Tuesday morning.
From Loreto, the remains were flown to Davao City for autopsy and forensic examination at the PAF’s Tactical Operation Group-11 headquarters at Barangay Sasa.
According to Lt. Col. Salvacion Evangelista, Eastmincom spokesperson, the cadavers will need to be identified and will be placed in their respective caskets before these are turned over to their respective families.
On Wednesday, Basco, told a local radio in Agusan del Sur that the families of the airmen had already been informed of the incident.
She added that initial reports showed the flight had been cleared after weather and wind conditions were assessed as favorable.
“We have strict wind limitations. If conditions are not favorable, we do not take off because the safety of our aircrew is paramount,” Basco said. “At that time, conditions were suitable, and the mission was cleared for flight.”
“Rest assured that the conduct of the investigation is immediate and a priority,” she added.
Basco said the Super Huey was a refurbished but “fully mission-capable” aircraft acquired from the United States in 2011 and had undergone regular maintenance and inspections.
Pending the results of the investigation, all Super Huey helicopters have been grounded for safety inspection, while other PAF air assets—such as Black Hawks, Bells, C-130s, and C-295s—continue to support disaster response operations in areas affected by Tino.
Heroes mourned
Delmar Jay-ar Bantuasan II, barangay secretary of Sabud, told the Inquirer that prior to the chopper’s crash, many of them in the village saw its tail section already burning.
Bantuasan said that their attention was drawn to the chopper around 11 a.m. on Tuesday as it was already flying low and repeatedly circling “as if trying to maneuver to land.”
The site of the crash, he said, is about a kilometer from the village center.
Bantuasan said the three other aircraft circled the crash site but did not land due to the absence of a safe open area.
President Marcos has extended his sympathies and assured the PAF soldiers’ families that the government will provide them all assistance that they will need, according to Palace press officer Claire Castro.
The OCD, DND, and AFP also extended condolences to the families of the fallen airmen, honoring their courage and service.
“The OCD honors the courage and dedication of the fallen airmen who served the nation with selflessness and bravery,” said OCD Administrator Harold Cabreros in a statement.
The DND also expressed its sympathies, saying, “Their dedication to duty and sacrifice will always be remembered, especially as these were made in the service of our fellow Filipinos facing the effects of Typhoon Tino.”
AFP spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the crash was “a tragic reminder of the risks faced by those who serve, even in missions of compassion and relief.”
‘Precautionary landing’
Meanwhile, a PAF Black Hawk helicopter conducting postdisaster assessment operations made a precautionary landing in Southern Leyte on Wednesday after experiencing an engine issue.
In a statement, the PAF said the S-70i Black Hawk was flying over St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, when it recorded fluctuating temperature readings on one of its engines.
“The crew performed a precautionary landing after noticing fluctuating temperature readings on one of the aircraft’s engines,” it said. “All crew and passengers are safe and were assisted by local authorities.”
According to the PAF, the helicopter’s twin-engine design allows it to land safely even with only one operational engine. The crew, it said, followed standard safety procedures.
A maintenance and investigation team has been deployed to assess the aircraft’s condition and determine necessary repairs. —WITH REPORTS FROM CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN, JOSELLE R. BADILLA AND LUISA CABATO
