Plane wreckage found near Mayon crater

THE wreckage of a plane was spotted near the crater of Mount Mayon Sunday. An aerial reconnaissance conducted by Ayala Corp. spotted what’s left of the plane, including the tail, in the gully, the steepest part of the volcano. Rescuers struggled on Sunday to reach the slopes of Mayon, an active volcano, with the fate of those on board still unconfirmed.

The Energy Development Corp. (EDC)’s Cessna plane carrying four people was reported missing on Saturday after taking off at the Bicol International Airport.The EDC said the missing plane belonged to the company and it was seeking to confirm if the wreckage spotted on Sunday in “very steep terrain and high altitude of about 6,000 feet” was theirs.

The aircraft was piloted by Capt. Rufino James Crisostomo Jr. With him were Joel Martin (aircraft mechanic) and Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santanan, technical consultants of EDC.

The company has informed their respective families about the incident.“Our primary concern is the swift and safe rescue of our four colleagues who were onboard the aircraft. We are thankful to Mayor (Caloy) Baldo for mobilizing his team to help us do this,” said Allan

Barcena, assistant vice president and head of corporate relations and communications at EDC.

The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) earlier said they will focus the search at the foot of Mayon Volcano.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Apsemo, said the missing Cessna plane may have gone down in Barangay Quirangay in Camalig town.

Earlier reports said air traffic controllers at the Bicol International Airport lost contact with the Cessna 340 plane on Saturday.

The aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 left the airport at 6:43 a.m.

The controllers made their last contact with the plane at 6:46 a.m., when the Cessna was in the vicinity of Camalig at an altitude of 2,600 feet.

It was supposed to arrive in Manila at 7:53 a.m.The Philippine Air Force deployed air assets also for search and rescue operations.

Mount Mayon is currently at alert level 2, a restive status.

Baldo said some 218 personnel, 34 vehicles, 11 drones and four K9 dogs were deployed for the massive ground search and rescue operations.

Daep warned the rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, which was complicating rescue efforts.

“There might be a sudden ash explosion and we could be added to the casualties,” he told radio DZBB.

An aerial search will continue Monday to locate the missing people.

“We are not discounting the possibility that they could still be alive,” Daep said.