Two days after the deadly C-130 cargo plane crash in Patikul, Sulu, the details of the cause of the accident that claimed the lives of 52 individuals have yet to be cleared as investigation continues.
To help ferret out the truth, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said Tuesday, July 6, that he has visited the survivors of the military plane crash where he personally heard their experiences moments before the tragedy struck.
This, along with the recovery of the blackbox or flight data recorder, will help clear the gray areas in the investigation to determine why one of the most reliable assets of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) crashed last Sunday, which is now considered as one of the worst aviation accidents in the history of the country's military.
"Actually, there are different versions of the eyewitnesses' accounts. I spoke with the passengers, the survivors who are in our military hospital in Zamboanga, and one of them said that the airplane bounced three times," Sobejana said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
After it bounced, the survivor told Sobejana that the plane went zig-zag on the runway. Sobejana said the pilots must have attempted to elevate the plane and try a second landing but it already lost its power midway the air until one of its blades hit a tree. The plane then crashed and burst into flames.
"They did not regain enough power so when the blades hit a tree, it banked on its right and crashed," he said.
What caused the plane to bounce upon its landing at the Jolo airport is yet to be confirmed.
However, another eyewitness told Sobejana that only one of the three landing gears of the C-130 plane (tail number 5125) was allegedly deployed when they made the first landing. A landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft which is used to provide a suspension system during a takeoff or landing.
"Other eyewitnesses said that they only saw one landing gear. But it may have been only because of the line of sight," he said.
While these accounts will be included in the investigation, the AFP Chief clarified that these things remain speculations as he urged the public to wait for the results of the investigation.
"It's hard to speculate. All these will be determined by our site investigators who are also experts in doing investigations," he noted.
Blackbox retrieved
Pilot investigators from PAF's 220th Airlift Wing were already deployed on the crash site to check on the condition of the runway and retrieve the debris of the plane.
The black box or flight data recorder has also been found on site around 11 a.m. Monday.
"We would be able to hear from that blackbox the last conversation of the pilots and crew in the cockpit. From there, we will e able to determine what really transpired," he said.
DNA testing and dental records matching have also began while burn specialists have arrived on site to help in the identification of the victims. Probers also cordoned the crast site to preserve the pieces of evidence and discover any personal belongings of the casualties.
Among the 52 killed were 49 military personnel while three were civilians. Seven of the fatalities were already identified including Maj. Emmanuel Makalintal, pilot-in-command; and First Lt. Sheena Alexandrea Tato, a military flight nurse.
"Some of the cadavers are beyond recognition beause they are charred. They were not able to get out when the C-130 exploded," Sobejana said.
"We are doing our best effort to identify all the cadavers so that we can bring them to their families the soonest possible time," he added.