Medevac plane disintegrated in air before crashing in Calamba; investigation awaited

The medevac plane that crashed in Calamba City, Laguna on Sunday broke up while still in the air, according to a regional official of the Office of Civil Defense on Monday.

"Nagpira-piraso ang eroplano sa air pa lang," Alex Masiglat, spokesperson of the Calabarzon-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Region IV-A Office of Civil Defense, said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV aired on GMA News TV.

Authorities are awaiting the arrival of investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Monday to shed light on the matter.

According to a report by Manny Vargas on Dobol B sa News TV, parts of the 11-seater two-engine turbo prop plane landed in separate areas: Purok Dos, Purok  Tres, and Purok Singko.

A one-meter part of what is believed to be the plane's wing landed in Purok Dos.

Residents said while still in the air, the plane disintegrated and its wing fell off.

Nine people died when the King Air 350 light aircraft medevac plane owned by Lion Air transporting a patient from Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte to Metro Manila crashed around 3:30 p.m. in Barangay Pansol. Two caretakers at a private resort were injured.

The crash sparked a fire, which was put out at 5:17 p.m., Masiglat said.

He also said the Philippine National Police officially ended the search and retrieval operation at 8:16 p.m. 

"Nakuha na 'yung siyam na bangkay mula sa eroplano," he said, adding that the operation became search and retrieval since there were no survivors.

Relatives of the victims arrived on Sunday night, Masiglat said. 

They coordinated with the PNP on the proper management of the bodies.

According to Jeffrey Rodriguez of the Calamba Public Order and Safety Division, the investigation will also look into why only eight people were listed on the plane's manifest submitted to CAAP but nine bodies were recovered. The plane was not overloaded though.

Masiglat said they are coordinating with the barangay captain of Barangay Pansol to give assistance to residents whose houses were damaged in the plane crash.

They have also coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for assistance to those injured.

Lion Air said it will pay for the funeral expenses of the victims.

Meanwhile, operations of other hot spring resorts in Calamba remained normal on Monday, according to the tourism officer of Calamba, Masiglat said.

Roads were also clear, and only two private resorts were affected. —KG, GMA News