Cessna plane nosedives at Lingayen airport

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Air Transportation Office through its safety division is conducting probe about a single engine Cessna two-seater plane that bounced Sunday morning at the Lingayen Airport in Barangay Libsong West, under the command of an Indian trainee, resulting in damages of the aircraft.

Mariano Trinidad, officer in charge of ATO at the airport here, told local newsmen yesterday that engineer Hector Catan from their Manila office was to arrive here late afternoon to do the probe.

Around 10:25 a.m. Sunday, Nachikita Raval, 19, an Indian national, was in command of an RPC 8204 Cessna plane solo flight, when it touched down the spill of the threshold slightly to the runway 08 centerline about 300 meters away.

This caused the aircraft to make a tail-up facing nose­dive, according to an initial report of Eduardo Jimenez, civil security unit of the local ATO here.

The plane has markings Fast Fly.

The report added that the plane skidded on the left side of the runway causing substantial damage on the right wing, landing gears, nose engine and propeller of the plane.

Raval underwent medical check-up but was reportedly unhurt.

She was having her actual flying lessons under her flight instructor Capt. Sherwin Nocus.

“Matagal na rin siyang nag so-solo flight. Magaling siyang piloto at kinukumpleto na lang niya yong training niya (She has been having her solo flights for a long time. She’s a good pilot and was completing her training),” said another ATO employee.

Sunday’s accident was the second this year, the first being on Jan. 17 when another Cessna plane bumped into the airport fence. No casualty was reported then.

To date, there are three Cessna planes two-seater single engine type that are being used by about 50 trainees here, mostly Indians.

The Lingayen Airport used to operate as an airstrip as early as the Spanish regime, according to Trinidad. – With Cesar Ramirez