Pilot survives light plane crash off Davao del Sur

STA. CRUZ, Davao del Sur, Philippines—A four-seat Cessna plane crashed into the sea off Barangay Bato here Thursday but no one was injured.

Senior Insp. Noel Villahermosa, Sta. Cruz deputy police chief, said the plane, with body number RPC 391, had come from General Santos City and was headed for Davao City when it developed unspecified problems around 8:30 a.m.

Villahermosa said Tañada Pinto, 60, the pilot, tried to fly the plane to Guihing in the muncipality of Hagonoy town, which has a strip for small aircraft, but it fell into the sea off Barangay Bato.

Pinto told the Inquirer he was flying alone back to Davao City after flying a passenger to General Santos City when he suddenly lost control of the plane.

The plane was damaged in the crash, Villahermosa said.

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