AIRPORT TRAGEDY

Aviation authorities cordon off what’s left of the light plane that exploded during takeoff on Sunday night, killing its eight passengers.

THE light plane that crashed while taking off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport ( NAIA) on Sunday had come from transporting medical supplies and was ferrying a patient to Japan.

All eight people aboard the 10-seater West Wind 24 owned by Lionair Inc. died after the aircraft caught fire after crashing.

Authorities identified the fatalities as Capt. Mario Medina, the pilot, and Captains Ren Edward Nevada and Melvin Bruel de Castro, flight crew Jael Edmark Agravante, Dr. Cenover Nicandro Bautista, registered nurse Tomelda Conrado, Canadian John Richard Hurst, and American citizen Marilyn Vergara de Jesus.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesman Eric Apolonio said the plane was chartered by the Department of Health to ferry essential medical supplies needed for the coronavirus response.

The Health department confirmed it had chartered the aircraft. “Just a few hours before the accident, the aircraft finished transporting health commodities and supplies to Zamboanga, Mactan, Iloilo and Butuan,” it said in a statement.

Philippine Medical Association Vice President Dr. Benito Atienza said Bautista was accompanying a patient from the province who wanted to be transferred to Haneda, Japan.

“The patient wanted to be transferred to Japan because there was a Covid- 19 ( coronavirus disease 2019) patient in the previous hospital where the patient was admitted,” Atienza said during an interview in CNN Philippines.

Atienza did not name the patient Bautista wa s accompanying.

Bautista’s sister, Ria, expressed her grief through social media: “I lost my brother on that flight. No words can describe how devastating it is to lose a family member in such a horrific way. How do you process something like this. How.”

Bautista posted his final message before boarding the West Wind 24.

“I can’t wait for this to be over…. I can’t wait to not think about if I’m going to be sick or not. If I’m going to be another number on a census board,” he said.

Aviation authorities said the plane’s cockpit voice recorder was recovered and would help determine what caused the crash.

Apolonio said an investigation had been launched by CAAP’s Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board.

“We will release advisory within the day,” Apolonio said in a text message.

The Manila International Airport Authority said the runway was cleared of debris from the crash and reopened at 4:20 a.m. Monday.

Based on initial reports, the plane had encountered a technical problem while lining up for takeoff. It was not clear why the pilot took off anyway.

Apolonio said all Lion Air planes had been grounded.

A Korean Air flight from SeoulIncheon had to be diverted to Clark International Airport after the runway was closed.

Medina, the 67- year- old pilot, did not need to fly the plane Sunday. He was semi- retired “but was such a dedicated pilot,” his sister Gina Medina told TheManilaTimes in an exclusive interview.

The former Philippine Airlines ( PAL) veteran, who worked with PAL for 36 years until 2012, was also a dedicated father, Medina said.

“His two sons were PAL pilots too, and he wanted to help the family ( since the boys were not flying with the Covid-19 shutdown), so took the assignment.

“He had so many dreams for the family. He wanted to give them everything. He was very grateful to the [ Lion Air] company, which allowed him to do what he loved doing even after he retired from PAL,” his sister said.

Medina was an avid musician who played the drums and guitars. He had an extensive collection of guitar sets at home. He was also very active in his Ateneo Class of 1975 activities, especially their golfing tournaments, which included the late Mariano Marcos 2nd, who was running for vice governor of Ilocos Norte, when he suffered a heart attack in February 2019.