Body of missing passenger in Isabela plane crash found – exec

Screengrab from a video footage of the site where the crashed plane was located by authorities in San Mariano town in Isabela province. Photo from the Isabela Incident Management Team

MANILA, Philippines — The body of the missing passenger onboard a light aircraft that crashed in San Mariano, Isabela, last November 30 was found on Sunday morning, according to Isabela’s Incident Management Team (IMT).

Lawyer Constante Foronda, commander of the IMT overseeing the search and rescue operations, said rescuers found the remains of the female passenger at 9:15 a.m.

“The missing passenger was found lifeless by K9 trackers about 200 meters down the mountain slope from the plane wreckage,” Foronda said in a statement.

READ: Missing plane’s wreckage found in Isabela forests

He added that the body of the passenger, identified as Erma Escalante, was brought to the Tactical Operations Group 2 in Cauayan City and was boarded to a funeral vehicle at around 2:20 p.m.

“Upon the wishes of the husband, the casket will be flown to Palanan,” the official said.

Foronda said the Sokol helicopter is now refueling for its return to the crash site “to extricate the men and equipment of the rescue or retrieval team.”

Based on previous reports, the plane lost communication with the airport tower shortly after it took off from the Cauayan airport at 9:39 a.m. on November 30.

Last December 7, the remains of the pilot were located within the Piper aircraft’s wreckage.