2 PAF officials killed in OV-10 crash in Tarlac

MANILA, Philippines - Two Air Force officers died after an OV-10 Bronco plane crashed in Capas, Tarlac yesterday.

The incident left the PAF with just two OV-10 aircraft.

Killed were pilot Capt. Jose Enriquez Leonardo Corpuz and his co-pilot 1st Lt. Apollo Carandang.

In a statement, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Gerardo Zamudio Jr. said the plane crashed at Crow Valley in Tarlac at 2:40 p.m.

“Initial reports state that the aircraft took off at 11:25 a.m. and was piloted by two Philippine Air Force officers who were on flight training,” read the statement.

“The remains of the two pilots were already recovered. On the other hand, a team from the 15th Strike Wing is already on its way to the crash site to retrieve the debris of the plane.”

Zamudio said the bodies of the two pilots were scheduled to be flown to Villamor Air base in Pasay City last night.

Maj. Gen. Lino Horacio Lapinid, PAF First Air Division commander, said no other passengers were in the plane.

The two pilots had been training with their counterparts in the United States Air Force since the first week of February, he added.

Zamudio said as standard operating procedure, the remaining OV-10 planes will be grounded pending an investigation.

“We will have to wait for the results of the investigation,” he said.

Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said an OV-10 aircraft provides close air support to troops on the ground.

“This (incident) calls to mind the need to modernize our Air Force,” he said.

The crash happened less than a month after a 12-seater Nomad plane went down in a subdivision in Cotabato City on Jan. 28 and killed nine people.

The casualties then were Maj. Gen. Mario Butch Lacson, Air Force’s 3rd Air Division commander; Capt. Genaro Gaylord Ordonio, 1st Lt. Angelica Valdez, Maj. Prisco Tacuboy, Lt. Alexander Ian Lipait, Staff Sergeants Ronaldo Mejia, Ianne Christy Marose Llamera and Jeffrey Gozon; and Inday Mondrano, a civilian.

An initial report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board showed that the crash might have been caused by engine failure.

The crash left the PAF with just one serviceable Nomad.

Another Nomad is undergoing repair. – Alexis Romero and Ric Sapnu