Wreckage of ill-fated aircraft spotted on slopes of Mayon Volcano, CAAP confirms
MANILA, Philippines — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Tuesday identified the plane wreckage spotted on the slopes of Mayon Volcano as the Cessna340 aircraft which went missing after taking off in Albay over the weekend.
“After several attempts to reach the crash site amid weather disturbances, the CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board, which is part of the search and rescue operations for the search of the Cessna 340 (Caravan) aircraft (RP-C2080), has positively identified the aircraft’s wreckage,” CAAP said in a statement.
According to CAAP, the wreckage, located at the western slope of Mayon Volcano at the elevation of 3500-4000 feet, was identified using a high-resolution camera.
“As of now, the condition of the crew and passengers are not yet known as the exact site has not yet been reached by the search and rescue team due to bad weather,” said CAAP.
The search and rescue teams, CAAP said, have already launched three attempts to reach the site — utilizing a Philippine Air Force Black Hawk helicopter and a Philippine Navy A2109 aircraft — but failed due to strong winds in the area.
CAAP assured the public that the missing aircraft was compliant with the agency’s airworthiness certification.
The Cessna 340A took off from the Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 — bound for Manila — before disappearing.
This is the second Cessna plane to go missing this year, with the first disappearing in Isabela in January.
