(Update) Pilot, student hurt as training plane crashes in Bulacan

(Update) MANILA, Philippines - A flight instructor and a student were hurt after their training plane crashed in a rice field in Bulacan province Saturday. Bulacan provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Allen Bantolo said the Cessna 152 plane with body number 8203 of Delta Flying school left the Plaridel Airport 10:50 a.m. Saturday. About 25 minutes later, the airplane experienced difficulties and was forced to crash land at a ricefield in Barangay Lalangan in the town of Plaridel. The Arabian student pilot and his instructor suffered injuries and were brought to a hospital for treatment, Bantolo said. Police said the training plane belongs to Delta Air Aviation. Air Transportation Authorities will be investigating the cause of the crash, Bantolo said. Saturday’s plane crash was not the first in Bulacan. In July 2007, two training planes collided as they were preparing to land at the Plaridel airport, killing two Indian students and a Filipino instructor. Another instructor was injured. On March 1, 2008, a Cessna 150 of flying school Flightline Aviation crashed in a village not far from the airport, killing both its Filipino flight instructor and an Indian student. In November 2008, an Arab student and his Filipino instructor were injured after their trainer plane crashed in Bulacan. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV