CAAP report on Robredo plane crash out next week

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is set to release next week its official report on the Masbate plane crash that killed Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others in August.

   

In a phone interview Thursday, CAAP investigation head Capt. Amado Soliman told GMA News Online that the final investigation report will answer all speculations that cloud the August 18 tragedy. “The final report will contain all those unanswered concerns. It will contain all the facts that caused the accident,” Soliman said. “Next week siguro Wednesday or Thursday [ilalabas na ‘yung report].”

 

At the same time, Soliman reiterated that there was no foul play involved in the incident, echoing an earlier statement made by CAAP deputy director general Capt. John Andrews. “We did not notice any of that sort,” Soliman said.

 

Still, Soliman said the report will not contain the sanctions that may be imposed on Aviatour, the air taxi company that provided the charter services to Robredo.

 

“We are not accusatory and we are not blaming anybody,” he said, adding that a “collateral board” should impose fines or penalties to Aviatour, should the firm be found liable of violating any rules or laws.

 

Aviatour owner and chief executive officer, Capt. Jessup Bahinting, who piloted the ill-fated Piper Seneca plane, and his Nepalese co-pilot Kshitiz Chand also died in the plane crash. Robredo’s aide-de-camp, Senior Inspector June Abrazado, was the lone survivor of the incident. Emergency locator  

Soliman noted that Abrazado’s testimony “definitely” gave weight in the investigation. Contrary to initial reports, Soliman explained that the emergency locator transporter of Robredo’s plane was turned on when the aircraft hit the seawater.

Although the ELT did not automatically transmit the plane's location, Soliman noted that CAAP did not consider investigating the matter as it was not material to the plane crash. “We did not consider that,” he said referring to the ELT. If the ELT transmitted a signal, the divers could have immediately located the plane wreckage, which took the divers about 10 days to find.

 

The wreckage of the Piper Seneca plane, found last August 28, was transported to Manila on September 6 for investigation. It was subsequently turned over to CAAP’s custody. — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/RSJ, GMA News