Cessna plane crashes in Subic waters, 2 passengers safe

By Ronron
January 16, 2007

A two-seater Cessna plane on training flight crashed on Tuesday afternoon in the waters of Subic Bay in Zambales allegedly due to engine problem.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza said in a radio interview that the incident happened past 2pm, although the two persons aboard it survived.

“We had a Cessna that crashed at sea, one kilometer away from the runway. But both passengers – the pilot and the instructor, are alive. They were immediately rescued,” Arreza said.

A statement issued later by the SBMA Public Relations Office disclosed that the Cessna A-150 plane, owned by the Subic-based Aeroflite Flying School, was on a routine flight run prior to the incident.

It was being piloted by flight instructor Emil Mananghaya, 27, while his passenger was identified as Malaysian national, Ng Soon Sen, 35.

“The plane supposedly suffered an engine trouble and was trying to glide back to the SBIA (Subic Bay International Airport). Apparently, they couldn’t glide the plane any further and was forced to ditch the plane off the coast of Chiquita Island,” SBIA General Manager Marcelo Santos said in the SBMA statement.

The ill-fated plane ditched one kilometer away from the approach end of Runway 07 of the SBIA.

Mananghaya and Sen were described as “a little shaken” when rescued by members of the SBMA Harbor Patrol, but were “unscathed” expect for minor injuries. They were brought to the James Gordon Hospital in Olongapo City, said Arreza.

The SBMA said the Cessna A-150 is a single-engine and single-propeller unit aircraft that are used for flying instructions.

The Air Transportation Office (ATO) Investigative Board was already summoned to be conduct post-accident investigation, said Santos./DMS