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MANILA, Philippines — The Cessna airplane that went missing after taking off from the Cauayan Domestic Airport in Isabela province still has not been found, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.
CAAP said in its report dated February 3 that it has maintained close coordination regarding search and rescue (SAR) operations since the plane went missing last January 24. However, search parties still have not positively identified the possible crash site of the aircraft.
The Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center crafted the memorandum and was addressed to CAAP Director General (ret.) Capt. Manuel Tamayo.
“(We) maintained close coordination regarding search and rescue operation efforts regarding the disappearance of RP-C1174 after its last position report to Cauayan Control Tower on 24 January 2023 […] Extended the hours of operations and early opening of Cauayan airport to support the SAR mission operational requirements,” the report said.
“Search operations conducted by PAF [Philippine Air Force] Sokol helicopter with callsign ANGEL925 yielded negative sighting. Launched maritime search using small surface vessels and frogmen of PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) within the area of Divilacan Bay,” it added.
The report also vowed to “exhaust all possible SAR efforts” to pinpoint the missing aircraft’s location finally.
Last January 24, a six-seater Cessna 206 plane was declared missing an hour after taking off from the said airport. It was supposed to land in the coastal town of Maconacon.
READ: Cessna plane goes missing in Isabela
After not being found immediately, CAAP said that the missing airplane was now in a distressed phase which means the passengers and the aircraft are threatened by grave and imminent danger.
Last January 29, Isabela’s local government said it found a possible piece of the wreckage near a mountain at Barangay Sapinit, Divilacan Isabela.
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