Isabela Cessna plane crash victims’ remains brought to their families

The remains of the six passengers onboard the Cessna plane that crashed in Isabela in January are now with their respective families.

Once the cadavers were brought by the Philippine Air Force to Cauayan City from the wreckage site in Sierra Madre, they were sent to a funeral home to be turned over to their families, based on an Unang Balita report of GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon’s Claire Lacanilao.

“Ise-seal sila lahat, ilalagay sa metal casket, then ita-travel… ‘Yung sa piloto, bibigyan siya ng ano…kasi magko-conduct ng autopsy as per CAAP. After CAAP, ike-cremate siya then dadalhin ng asawa papunta ng Nueva Ecija,” said Atty. Gilbert Bautista, representative of the bereaved families.

(They will all be sealed, put in a metal casket, then they will be transported... As for the pilot, an autopsy will be conducted first, as per CAAP. After that, he will be cremated, then his wife will take him to Nueva Ecija.)

The families were emotional and refrained from being interviewed by the media.

The remains of the passengers and the pilot were brought down to the nearby Dimapnat Village in Divilacan from Sierra Madre on Sunday. Afterwhich, they were transferred to Cauayan City on Tuesday morning.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo doon sa naging magandang weather sapagkat tinake advantage po nung ating pilots and aircrew ‘yung opening doon sa Sierra Madre mountain ranges kaya po napabilis ‘yung ating pag-airlift sa mga cadavers,” Philippine Army 5th Infantry Division’s public affairs chief Major Rigor Pamittan said.

(We are thankful for the good weather because our pilots and aircrew were able to take advantage of the opening in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges to speed up the airlift of the cadavers.)

Representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) also arrived in Divilacan to investigate the cause of the plane crash.

The Cessna C206 plane RPC 1174 with six onboard was reported missing on January 24 after taking off from the Cauayan Airport heading for Maconacon town.

The aircraft was found on March 9 in Barangay Ditarum, Divilacan, Isabela. There were no survivors in the plane crash incident. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA Integrated News