CAAP still verifying reports regarding missing aircraft in Dinagat
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The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said it is awaiting a report from its search and rescue team, as operations continue for the pilot and lone passenger aboard a Cessna aircraft that reportedly crashed in a mountainous area of Dinagat Islands.
CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said they are waiting for the official reports from the CAAP's Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) who are on the ground searching for the two persons on board the Cessna plane with registry number RP-C2444.
“May nakitang wreckage ang mga residents malapit sa area pero hindi masabi kung yuon nga un wreckage ng Cessna (Residents near the area reported seeing wreckage, but they could not confirm whether it was indeed from the Cessna aircraft)l,” Apolonio said to check.
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Surigao del Norte officials said that local authorities are continuing search operations for the two people aboard the ill-fated Cessna RP-C2444, which was reported missing.
Unofficial reports from nearby residents stated that a loud crash explosion was heard at the mountainous area of Dinagat Island which rescuers are trying to confirm.
Reports also mentioned that the wreckage of Cessna plane RPC2444 was found by the retrieval team of Dinagat rescue team but the pilot and the passenger are not yet found.
As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, there have been no official reports or confirmation regarding the wreckage, pending the recovery of the pilot and the lone passenger, Apolonio added.