13 survive plane crash in Cagayan

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – A twin-engine light plane with 13 passengers, including some delegates to the Boys Scouts’ regional jamboree, crashlanded in a shallow river in northern Cagayan at around 1:30 p.m. yesterday. 

Police said all 13 passengers, including the two pilots, of the Beechcraft light plane with tail number RPC 1111, owned by Air Gurus, luckily survived the crash unscathed.

“All (the persons on board) were rescued by joint rescue teams from the Iguig police and Barangay San Vicente,” Senior Superintendent Mao Aplasca, Cagayan police director, said in a text message to The STAR.   

The crash site in southern Iguig town’s Barangay San Vicente is only a few kilometers away from the Tuguegarao City airport where the plane was scheduled to land before it would resume its flight to Cabugao, Ilocos Sur where the Boy Scouts’ five-day inter-regional jamboree is slated starting tomorrow.

Reports said the plane had taken off from the Basco airport in Batanes about two hours earlier, carrying the Boy Scouts from the province.

The plane was piloted by Capt. Jose Agustin and co-pilot Benedict de la Cruz. The 11 passengers were identified as Rustom Hontania, Jack Castaño, Jovani Hodpod, David Batan, Benedict John Acebes, Mae Jane Agcaoili, Harold Agito, Kate Vallentes, Mika Horkajo, Jana Horkajo, and Yale Mark Elep.    

Authorities said they were still investigating the cause of the crash.