Aviation officials tag pilot error in Parañaque plane crash

Aviation authorities tagged pilot error as the cause of the crash of a light cargo plane into a residential area in Parañaque City that killed at least 13 people last December 10.

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines' Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board said pilot Capt. Timoteo Aldo could have averted the tragedy if he continued to climb, radio dzBB reported Friday.

 

The report quoted investigation body head Capt. Amado Soliman Jr. as saying Aldo tried to return to the runway after the left engine of his plane conked out.

 

Had Aldo continued the takeoff procedure and climbed to 400 feet instead of trying to go back at 200 feet, he could have returned to the runway, the dzBB report quoted the CAAP report as saying.

 

Soliman said the combination of low altitude and wrong turn doomed the plane, which went into a spin from which the pilot never recovered.

 

On the other hand, the dzBB report quoted Soliman as saying the left engine may have ran out of fuel, which may have caused it to conk out.

 

Earlier investigation showed the Beechcraft plane was on its way to Mindoro when it crashed shortly after takeoff and crashed into a crowded residential area.

 

The owner of the plane was identified as Fidel Hembrador. CAAP has requested a hold departure order on Hembrador. –KG, GMA News