1 dead, another injured as planes collide in Davao

(Updated 11:19 a.m.) Two light planes collided in midair on Monday morning in Davao del Norte, leaving one pilot dead and another seriously injured, the police said. Chief Inspector Michael Tulen of the Kapalong police described the incident as "an air collision." The air mishap occurred at Purok Lower Mabini in Poblacion, Kapalong town at about 8 a.m. He said the two planes were used for spraying chemicals at a banana plantation. For its part, the Air Transportation Office (ATO) on mid-Monday morning received information about a small plane that crashed near a farm in Magatos village in nearby Asuncion town. Emmanuel Antonio of the ATO provided information that the aircraft was used for spraying operations and that incident occurred at about 8 a.m. It was not immediately clear, however, if this was the same incident that happened in Kapalong. "The plane exploded on impact and we have received reports that its pilot, Captain Rico Cajucom, was killed in the crash," Antonio told GMANews.TV. He added that, "We still don't know why the aircraft crashed." Davao del Norte is a leading producer of bananas. Firms such as Dole, Del Monte, Lapanday, Marsman, and Tadeco have banana farms in the province. Kapalong and Asuncion are adjacent municipalities in Davao del Norte. Kapalong is a first-class municipality with a population of 68,593 people in 13,843 households. Asuncion is a second-class municipality with a population of 60,383 people in 11,975 households. - with a report from Al Jacinto, GMANews.TV