Search on for missing plane
The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo), disaster responders in various towns of Albay and the Bureau of Fire Protection are now conducting a massive search mission to locate the Cessna plane that went missing on Saturday, February 18, here.
Apsemo chief Cedric Daep said that all disaster responders and village officials in the third district of Albay have been alerted to be on the lookout for the missing aircraft.
According to the initial report, a Cessna 340 aircraft with tail number RP-C2080 departed Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m. but aviation authorities lost contact with the plane shortly after departure.
The last known position of the plane was at 2,600 feet over Camalig Bypass Road in Albay at around 6:48 a.m. The control tower tried to contact the plane after a few minutes but the pilot, Capt. Rufino James Crisostomo Jr., did not respond.
The six-seater aircraft was supposed to land in Manila at 7:53 a.m. also on Saturday.
Also on board the aircraft were crewman Joel Martin and passengers Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santanan, both Australian citizens.
Mayor Caloy Baldo of Camalig said MDRRMO responders and village officials have been deployed to search for the missing plane.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has also dispatched officers from its Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board.
On Jan. 24, 2023, a Cessna 206 with tail number RP-C1174 also went missing in Isabela province.
The Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center said in a report on Tuesday, February 14, that “up until now no trace of RP-C1174 has been found, despite the 21 days of search and rescue operations.”