ILL-FATED. Smoke billows from the PAF helicopter that crashed in Cauayan City. PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLYKENZA SAWIT
MANILA, Philippines—A Huey helicopter of the Philippine Air Force’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing carrying five persons crashed at the Cauayan Air Station in Cauayan City, Isabela province late on Thursday (July 23), the PAF confirmed.
Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley regional police chief, said two bodies had been retrieved from the wreckage. Nieves said two more persons aboard the helicopter were missing.
Nieves said the identities of the fatalities are not known yet.
The PAF, in a statement, said the UH-1D Huey with tail No. 8308 crashed during takeoff for night vision training at the Tactical Operations Group 2 (TOG2) around 7 p.m.
The PAF said Air Force men were recovering the aircraft to determine if there were casualties inside, vowing to conduct an investigation.
“As of this time, recovery of the aircraft is being executed to determine the number of casualties,” the PAF statement said. “The PAF will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the incident,” it said.
Officers from the Cauayan City Police Station earlier told INQUIRER.net that the helicopter crashed at the TOG2 area.
The police station, however, declined to give further details about the crash. Initial reports from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) jibed with the PAF statement. The CAAP said the helicopter had tail No. 8308 and crashed near the TOG2’s ramp area.
The CAAP said the helicopter carried two pilots, a passenger and two crew men. Two of them were “visible” from inside the helicopter while the crew men were taken to a hospital.
According to Cagayan Valley police chief Nieves, at least one of the injured crewmen were rushed to the Isabela United Doctors Medical Center.