MANILA, Philippines—A 21-gun salute and flower drops from a low-flying chopper led the way to the final resting place of Major Manuel Zambrano Jr. at high noon on Tuesday, as full military honors were accorded the pilot killed in last week's C-130 crash at the Davao Gulf.

Zambrano, a pilot for the past 17 years, was accorded a hero's burial on Tuesday, during intimate rites led by the Philippine Air Force chief, Lieutenant General Pedrito Cadungog. His funeral gathered friends, family and comrades in the service at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) in Taguig City.

Zambrano, 39, was pilot-in-command of the C-130 Hercules that mysteriously crashed minutes after taking off the Davao International Airport on August 25, killing the long-time flier, eight other airmen and two Army personnel.

Flower petals of different colors dropped from a UH-1H helicopter twice as pall bearers carried Zambrano to his place on the hallowed burial grounds.

A volley of rifle shots rang out as PAF honor guards paid tribute to the pilot, an admired aviator who has flown countless humanitarian missions in his career.

The remains of Zambrano and the eight other airmen were flown to Manila from Davao City via a C-130 plane on Saturday.

Investigators have yet to determine why the cargo plane crashed and Philippine authorities are currently working with the United States Navy to determine the aircraft's remnants in the deep of the Davao Gulf.

USNS John McDonnell, a deep sea survey ship, arrived at the crash site Saturday and started subsea scanning to locate the plane.

As of Tuesday, the Joint US Military Assistance Group reported to PAF that the ship “got some hits on suspected pieces of the wreckage” but said there was “nothing solid to report yet.”