Isabela local gov’t spots ‘possible wreckage’ of missing Cessna plane

MANILA, Philippines — A possible wreckage of the missing Cessna 206 RP-C1174 was spotted in a mountainside near Barangay Sapinit, Isabela, said the province’s public information office (PIO) on Sunday.

The six-seater plane has been missing since Tuesday following its departure from Cauayan Domestic Airport in the province of Isabela.

“Meron akong na-receive na information as of 6:45 a.m., ‘yung tao daw po, 25-kilometer malapit sa Ilagan-Divilacan Road, may nai-spot daw po sila na object that could be a wreckage na po sa mountain side near doon sa Sapinit,” said Isabela PIO administrative officer Joshua Hapinit in an interview with DZBB.

(I received information as of 6:45 a.m., that someone who was 25 kilometers near the Ilagan-Divilacan Road spotted an object that could be a wreckage on the mountainside near Sapinit.)

But Hapinit clarified that the said information is still being verified, as the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is still in the process of validating the information, with its verifying team dispatched on Sunday morning.

“We will verify the information muna,” Hapinit said.

Hapinit said that the local government has yet to conclude the fate of the pilot and five passengers, reiterating that the operations for their search are still in the search and rescue (SAR) phase.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) told Inquirer.net that it has also yet to confirm the said information.

It can be recalled that CAAP on Saturday halted its air search operations due to bad weather, but had already requested the Hong Kong Mission Control Center (HKMCC) and Japan Mission Control Center (JAMCC) for help in the search and rescue operations.

READ: Search for missing Cessna plane in Isabela halted due to bad weather

CAAP also extended the hours of operations and early opening of Cauayan Airport for SAR operations, with two investigators from CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board personnel deployed at the Cauayan airport.

The agency had also suggested SAR teams use personal locator beacons for immediate detection.

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