MANILA, Philippines – Bodies of two pilots aboard a crashed light trainer plane was finally found and retrieved on Friday in Hermosa, Bataan, the Civil Aviation Airport Authority (CAAP) said.
CAAP said the joint task force discovered the bodies of the victims – identified as Indian nationals Captain Navern Nagaraja (instructor) and pilot student Kuldeep Singh – “burned beyond recognition” at the crash site.
Philippine Air Force’s Sokol chopper initially brought the victims’ bodies to the Command Center at Brgy. Mabiga in Hermosa town and eventually transferred to Orani town (also in Bataan) for proper turnover to authorities.
The two-seater Cessna C152 training aircraft went missing last Monday after a touch-and-go landing at Subic Airport.
Nagaraja and Singh first departed Plaridel Airport at 7:20 a.m., then landed at Subic Airport at 7:51 a.m. for a touch-and-go landing maneuver.
The plane was expected to arrive back at Plaridel Airport by 8:14 a.m but never did.
READ: CAAP: Missing trainer plane crashed in Bataan
CAAP said search and rescue operations were immediately launched with two civilian aircraft from Fliteline and Sokol participating in the operations within the southern vicinity of Mount Sta. Rita.
Representatives from the Indian Embassy immediately went to Bataan to coordinate with local authorities for the bodies’ repatriation to the victims’ families in India.
CAAP’s Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board is investigating the incident to determine possible causes of the crash. /kga