US ship joins search ops for Phl Navy pilots

MANILA, PhilippinesUnited  States Navy ship Henson joined the search and recovery operations for downed Philippine Navy pilots off Palawan after their OV-10 Bronco 630 attack craft crashed last June.

The USNS Henson, a Pathfinder-class vessel, will help in making positive visual developments in the massive search operations in Honda Bay, Palawan under Brig. Gen. Conrado Parra.

"The participation of the US Navy's USS Henson ... indicates a suspicious contour located approximately 58 meters below sea level at the vicinity," Parra said in a state news agency report.

The two pilots have earlier been identified as Maj. Jonathan Ybañez and 1st Lt. Abner Trust Nacion.

Related: Bronco plane wrackage found; pilots still missing

Parra recalled that earlier this month, a remotely-operated vehicle lent by the Department of Science and Technology led the search teams to a contour but later on learned that it was only a rock and coral formation.

Earlier, Parra and his team rented sonar equipment to scan the deeper parts of the sea where the OV-10 planes most likely crash into.

The official explained that the pilots could well be within a 1,000 meters below, but such a possibility may only be scanned using a remotely-operated vehicle belonging to oil giant Shell to be made available in December.

Parra said that while there is no let up yet in their efforts, the four month of continuous search and rescue operations without results forced them to switch to search and recovery.

Honda Bay is located about 5.9 nautical miles off Puerto Princesa airport where the Bronco took off for a night proficiency flight last June 23.