INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – After more than two weeks of unsuccessful search-and-rescue operations for a Cessna aircraft that vanished with six people on board in Isabela, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is still trying to locate the plane and its passengers.
The agency is in close contact with the Cauayan Airport/Control Tower and other related offices to get the requirements necessary to continue the mission.
“Negative aerial search operation conducted today. However, ground search and rescue teams had been mobilized to provide continuous search [operations] to different probable search areas,” Meneses said.
The six-seater Cessna 206 plane, with tail number RPC 117, took off at the Cauayan Domestic Airport at around 2:16 p.m. on Jan. 24. It was expected to arrive at the coastal town of Maconacon at 3 p.m.
As it was not found immediately after being declared missing, CAAP placed the Cessna under “distress phase” which points to “reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger or require immediate assistance.”
RELATED STORIES:
Search for missing Cessna plane in Isabela expands to sea
Isabela local gov’t spots ‘possible wreckage’ of missing Cessna plane
CAAP: Missing Cessna plane now in ‘Distress Phase’