CLARK FREEPORT – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is reviewing the “service records” of the S-211 trainer jet that crashed Wednesday last week off the shores of Bagac, Bataan, but noted that it will take “considerable time” before the cause of the accident could be determined.
PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Miguel Okol, in a text message to Punto, said the Air Accident and Investigation Bureau (AAIB) “is painstakingly reconstructing the remains and debris of the aircraft” whose crash killed Capt. Raymond de Leon and Maj. Ephraim Suyom.
“A group is looking into the service records of the aircraft as well as the flight of the pilots. After this the date collected will be analyzed and, if necessary, sent for material analysis outside (the PAF),” he said.
Okol said that the cause of the crash is not expected to be known soon. The two-seater jet smashed into pieces into several pieces when it crashed in a resort off the shores of Bagac. It took sometime for Coast Guard divers to locate the body of De Leon which was thrown off some distance during the incident.
“Owing to the tedious process being undertaken, it will take a considerable period before the board comes up with something substantial,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that the remaining functional S-211 aircraft of the PAF would remain grounded.
The ill-fated aircraft was one of the only six operational S-211 trainer jets of the PAF which had purchased a total of 25 such aircraft since the 1990’s. Of the total number, 15 were locally assembled by the Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. (Aerospace) based here.
PAF records showed that other accidents involving S-211 jets have occurred in the recent years.
In July last year, another such aircraft belonging to the Air Defense Wing’s 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron based here also crashed in Concepion, Tarlac, but its pilot and co-pilot were able to eject themselves to safety.
In 2002, another S-211 jet of the PAF also crashed due to mechanical failure, killing five, including the pilot and his co-pilot, in Barangay Garcia in Cabanatuan City where 15 houses were destroyed. The aircraft was also reported to be on proficiency flight.
PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Miguel Okol, in a text message to Punto, said the Air Accident and Investigation Bureau (AAIB) “is painstakingly reconstructing the remains and debris of the aircraft” whose crash killed Capt. Raymond de Leon and Maj. Ephraim Suyom.
“A group is looking into the service records of the aircraft as well as the flight of the pilots. After this the date collected will be analyzed and, if necessary, sent for material analysis outside (the PAF),” he said.
Okol said that the cause of the crash is not expected to be known soon. The two-seater jet smashed into pieces into several pieces when it crashed in a resort off the shores of Bagac. It took sometime for Coast Guard divers to locate the body of De Leon which was thrown off some distance during the incident.
“Owing to the tedious process being undertaken, it will take a considerable period before the board comes up with something substantial,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that the remaining functional S-211 aircraft of the PAF would remain grounded.
The ill-fated aircraft was one of the only six operational S-211 trainer jets of the PAF which had purchased a total of 25 such aircraft since the 1990’s. Of the total number, 15 were locally assembled by the Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. (Aerospace) based here.
PAF records showed that other accidents involving S-211 jets have occurred in the recent years.
In July last year, another such aircraft belonging to the Air Defense Wing’s 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron based here also crashed in Concepion, Tarlac, but its pilot and co-pilot were able to eject themselves to safety.
In 2002, another S-211 jet of the PAF also crashed due to mechanical failure, killing five, including the pilot and his co-pilot, in Barangay Garcia in Cabanatuan City where 15 houses were destroyed. The aircraft was also reported to be on proficiency flight.
