Search and rescue ops for missing Cessna plane in Bicol continue

The search and rescue operations for the missing Cessna plane in Bicol resumed on Sunday.

"Tuloy-tuloy naman po ang paghahanap at nahinto lang kagabi dahil madilim na. But early morning today sigurado 'yung team especially ng Camalig, Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office ay nandoon na para hanapin doon sa malapit sa search area," Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolonio said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(The search and rescue operations are continuing. They just stopped last night because it was already dark. Early morning today, the team especially of the Camalig, Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is already there to conduct the search.)

WATCH: Search and rescue mission sa nawawalang Cessna plane sa Bicol

Ayon sa APSEMO, ang Brgy. Quirangay sa Camalig, Albay ngayon ang target ng paghahanap. Sa bahaging iyon daw kasi huling namataan ang mababang lipad ng eroplano maging kung saan narinig ang pagsabog. pic.twitter.com/bCus9avbU5

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) February 19, 2023

Bicol Airport air traffic controllers lost contact with a Cessna 340 airplane on Saturday morning.

CAAP said the Cessna 340 (Caravan) aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 departed Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m.

Air traffic controllers last contacted the aircraft at 6:46 a.m., when the plane was abeam the Camalig Bypass Road at an altitude of 2,600 feet.

That plane was expected to arrive in Manila at 7:53 a.m. CAAP said the plane was carrying four people, including the pilot, crew, and two passengers.

Apolonio said the search and rescue operations will involve both aerial and ground forces.

The Philippine Air Force will deploy air assets such as helicopters and drones for the search and rescue operations.

"Ang problema lang natin ay weather, 'yung weather factor. 'Pag madilim, maulap, umuulan, hindi talaga makakalipad ang mga chopper," Apolonio said.

(Our problem is weather, the weather factor. When the skies are dark, cloudy, or it is rainy, choppers won't be able to fly.)

The CAAP spokesperson also said they cannot reveal the identities of the crew and passengers of the missing plane at this time while search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Apolonio also said its officers from the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) were dispatched to assist in the emergency response.

Meanwhile, Cedric Daep, Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office head, said the missing Cessna plane may have gone down in Barangay Quirangay in Camalig which is located at the foot of Mayon Volcano.

"Itong lugar (Brgy. Quirangay) na target, medyo critical kasi nasa paanan ito ng Mayon (Volcano) kung saan tinatamaan din ito ng lahar," Daep said in a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

(This target place is a bit critical because it is located at the foot of Mayon Volcano where lahar flows.)

The said barangay is within the permanent danger zone of Mayon Volcano.

"Ang mga residente, kaunti na lang. 'Yung ilan, relocated na... Baka bumagsak ito (Cessna plane) kung saan walang nakatira," Daep said.

(The residents there are few. Some of them were relocated. The plane may have crashed in an area where no one lives.) —KG, GMA Integrated News