(Eagle News) – Search teams found on Friday, February 8, the two-seater Cessna training aircraft which crashed in Bataan and recovered the bodies of the two Indian nationals on board.
The joint task force were able to penetrate the crash site which was in the mountainous area in Hermosa, Bataan, and found the two victims burned beyond recognition.
The plane was found four days after it went missing.
The remains of the two Indian nationals were airlifted by a Philippine Air Force helicopter and brought to the Command Center at Brgy. Mabiga, Hermosa, Bataan before they were airlifted to Orani for their turn-over to authorities.
The victims identified as Capt. Navern Nagaraja, instructor, and Kuldeep Singh, the student pilot, first departed Plaridel airport at 7:20 am on Monday, 4 February, and then landed at Subic Airport at 7:51 am for a touch and go landing maneuver. The plane was scheduled to arrive back at Plaridel Airport by 8:14 am.
But the plane failed to communicate with Plaridel Airport for its arrival time and was reported missing.
The aircraft with registry number RP-C 2724 was operated by Fliteline Aviation School.
After the plane was reported missing, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Operations Center (OPCEN) contacted Iba, Lingayen, and Sangley towers which reported that they did not get any sightings of the aircraft.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) is already investigating the incident.
Representatives from the Indian Embassy already went to Bataan to coordinate with the local authorities for the repatriation of the victims’ remains back to their families in India.