FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga – A military Huey helicopter figured in a “minor incident” at the Basa Air Base here during a training flight on at about 12 noon last Monday, Philippine Air Force (PAF) officials based at Clark Freeport said.
Col. Allan Ballesteros, spokesperson of the PAF’s 1st air base wing at Clark, said that the helicopter was on its 16th round of training flights and was landing when its tail touched the ground at the air base.
“I wouldn’t call it an accident. It was just a minor incident,” he said.
Ballesteros said that its pilots, whom he identified only as Capts. Dimapilis and Paderina, were unhurt but were nevertheless brought to the base clinic for check-up.
He said that except for minor scratches at the helicopter’s tail, no other damage was observed at the area of landing. Still, however, PAF safety department authorities are investigating the incident.
The Philippines has a fleet of 61 Huey helicopters provided by the US government, a number of which have figured in serious accidents.
In one incident on April 28 last year, a Huey helicopter crashed in a populated area in the central city of Cebu, killing seven civilians and two air force personnel, prompting the military to ground all its Hueys pending probe of the crash.
In June last year the US government turned over 10 more Vietnam-War-era UH-1H Huey helicopters to the Philippines to boost the country’s air force. Another 10 was also turned over last December.
The donation was part of 20 Huey helicopters pledged by US Pres. George Bush to the Philippine government to support the armed forces’ modernization programme.
