5 hurt in Navy chopper crash in Sangley

INQUIRER FILES

Two pilots and three crew members were injured after a Philippine Navy helicopter crashed at Sangley Airport in Cavite City on Thursday morning.

The naval chopper NH432, an AgustaWestland AW-109 helicopter of the Naval Air Wing, had just completed a scheduled maintenance inspection when it crashed during a training and maintenance flight at the Sangley Aerodrome, Navy spokesperson Cmdr. John Percie Alcos said in a statement.

READ: Sangley airport operations in Cavite suspended after Navy chopper crash

“Emergency response teams, including fire and medical personnel, were immediately deployed to the scene,” he said. The wounded personnel onboard suffered “minor injuries” but “were conscious” and taken to the nearby Philippine Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing Hospital.

Following the incident, the Naval Air Wing temporarily grounded the three remaining AW109 helicopters to give way to a “comprehensive investigation.” —FRANCES MANGOSING