A PNP helicopter acquired in January last year crashed in Real town in Quezon yesterday morning while on the way to pick up PNP chief Dionardo Carlos, killing a crew member and injuring the two pilots.
The fatality was identified as Patrolman Allen Noel Ona while Lt. Cols. Dexter Vitug and Michael Melloria sustained injuries and were treated at a private hospital in Infanta. They were later flown to the PNP General Hospital in Quezon City.
The chopper, with tail number RP 9710, an H125 Airbus helicopter that was acquired by the PNP to boost its law enforcement and public safety operations, was initially declared missing at around 6:17 a.m., shortly after taking off from the Manila Domestic Airport in Pasay City en route to northern Quezon for an administrative mission, according to PNP public affairs chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba.
Rescue teams from the PNP and Bureau of Fire Protection and local government unit reached the crashed site in Barangay Pandan at around 8:05 a.m., added Alba.
“Reports reaching the PNP Command Center indicate that the crash site was approximately 30 kilometers from the town proper of Real, Quezon where raining weather was prevailing on Monday morning,” said Alba.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo later admitted the helicopter was supposed to pick up Carlos, who went to Balesin Island, an exclusive island resort, in Quezon last Sunday “for a private time with his family.”
Fajardo said Carlos and his family members were supposed to return to Manila yesterday morning in time for the flag-raising rites in Camp Crame.
“But the commercial flight that he was supposed to take was not available,” said Fajardo.
“So the chopper flew to pick up the chief PNP to bring him to Camp Crame so he could attend the flag-raising… but unfortunately this incident happened.”
Fajardo said Carlos “was the only one (due for pickup). In fact, he was already in uniform because he was about to go straight to Camp Crame for the flag-raising. He was supposed to be the only passenger.”
Fajardo said Carlos’ family members were due to take a commercial flight to Manila later yesterday.
Alba said the PNP has grounded its entire fleet of multi-role H125 helicopters, pending a probe on the incident to be conducted in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Department of Transportation and “other concerned agencies.”
The aircraft that crashed was among the three H125 Airbus helicopters acquired by the PNP from the Airbus Helicopters Southeast Asia. With the incident, the PNP is now left with six H125 helicopters. The PNP also has two R-22 Robinson helicopters and a fixed-wing trainer aircraft in its inventory.
