CAAP wouldn't confirm if wreckage near Mayon belong to missing Cessna
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) would not confirm if the aircraft seen near the crater of the Mayon Volcano was the same small plane that went missing after its takeoff at the Bicol International Airport in Albay.
In a statement, CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said they still have to see the wreckage before any confirmation is done to avoid mistakes.
"We already asked permission from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) if we could be allowed to send search and rescue team, including investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Inquiry Board (AAIIB)," said Apolonio.
Earlier, photos of the wreckage of a plane surfaced near the volcano crater in Camalig town of Albay, the same area where the Cessna 340 Caravan made its last contact before it took off on Saturday, Feb. 18.
The aircraft, which was supposed to head to Manila, had four people on board, the pilot, the mechanic and two foreigners.
Search and rescue teams could not easily go to the crash site despite the photos from the drones as the area is within the volcano's danger zone.