Wreckage of Air Force training jet found after 3 months

Rappler.com

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Co-pilot remains missing

MANILA, Philippines – The wreckage of the SF-260 TP “Warrior” training plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has been recovered near the town of Mariveles in Bataan where the jet crashed on May 18.

Divers found the aircraft wreckage 80 feet below the sea of Mariveles on Saturday, September 8, PAF spokesman Col Miguel Ernesto Okol said.

It was pulled out of the waters by the Philippine Navy’s AS71 vessel during a recovery effort undertaken by members of the Philippine Navy and volunteer technical divers.

Only parts of the aircraft were recovered earlier, including a helmet, the fuel tank and a plane seat. 

The light propeller aircraft is one of a fleet of 18 purchased by the Philippines from Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi in 1991 as part of the military’s modernization program.

Pilot is still missing

Two pilots who were conducting a routine flight proficiency exercise were on board the trainer aircraft when it crashed a few minutes after taking off from Sangley Point in Cavite – Major Neil Tumaneng and 1st Lt Michael Arugay.

Tumaneng’s headless cadaver was recovered near La Monja Island between Corregidor and Mariveles on August 19, while Arugay remained missing, Okol said.

Okol said that the unit in-charge of the search and retrieval operations will continue looking for Arugay’s body.

An immediate investigation following the recovery of the wreckage was ordered by Lauro Catalino Dela Cruz, Commanding General of the PAF. — Rappler.com

 

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