Crash victim's husband to sue plane's company

The husband of one of the victims in the plane crash in May 2004 is lodging a complaint against the firm that operates the ill-fated Cessna 172 aircraft used by then Talisay City vice mayoralty candidate Aber Belleza in his campaign during the last election.

In a recent interview with The Freeman, William Tirado Jr. said he already had all the documents needed in filing the case, but added that he is still looking for a legal counsel.

Tirado, the husband of Babie Tirado who was one of the two casualties in the incident, said he wanted to claim damages from the firm that operated the plane.

In his investigation report, Air Worthiness Inspector Jorge Delima of Air Transportation Office said that pilot Gabriel Cimafranca III was "flying below the authorized altitude of 1,000 feet above highest terrain," causing the plane to hit a cliff towering over the Mananga riverbed.

The plane was chartered by Belleza to drop election campaign leaflets.

The pilot, according to Delima, was "engrossed" in dropping the leaflets that it was too late for him to pull up the aircraft whose tail eventually hit the terrain in sitio Borlas, barangay Lagtang, Talisay City.

Babie and Cimafranca were killed in the accident while aircraft mechanic Arden Suarez survived despite sustaining injuries.

Tirado said that even if it was a "pilot error," he wanted the Japanese firm, Toplight, to pay for the damages. Toplight had earlier renounced liability over the accident. - Liv G. Campo