Bad weather caused Bell 412 crash - PAF

Bad weather caused the presidential Bell 412 helicopter to crash, killing all eight passengers, who were all President Arroyo’s close aides, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said yesterday.

Maj. Gerardo Zamudio, PAF spokesman, said in a statement that their investigation showed that the pilots of the aircraft tried to avoid hitting a low cloud formation and thick fog, causing it to touch trees on Mt. Pulag in Tinoc, Ifugao last April 7.

“The (PAF) has theorized that the pilots of the ill-fated presidential helicopter that crashed in Benguet evaded a low cloud formation and thick fog engulfing a crucial mountain pass en route to Lagawe, Ifugao from Loakan airport in Baguio City before it crashed after trying to hurdle a much lower mountain pass and duck the gathering clouds for a clearer maneuver area,” he said.

However, Zamudio said the Bell 412 flew into an enveloping mass of clouds behind it, causing it to slam into trees and crash.

Maj. Gen. Jovito Gammad, who chairs the PAF Aircraft Accident Investigation Board, said initial investigation revealed that the helicopter of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing crashed 6,900 feet above sea level between Mounts Mangingihi and Pulag in Tinoc, Benguet.

The impact site’s bearing of 280 degrees that was way off the northernly direction of 30 degrees to Lagawe indicated that Maj. Ronaldo Sacatani and Capt. Alvin Alegata, both seasoned pilots, decided to turn back instead of hurdling the Kabayan-Pulag “saddle” toward Lagawe, he said.

The Kabayan-Pulag pass is the usual gateway for PAF pilots flying the Benguet-Ifugao route because the mountain ranges that increasingly descend from that point make flying safer, he said.

As the aircraft approached the saddle, Gammad said it is highly probable that Sacatani and Alegata saw that the area beyond was covered by fog and low clouds and decided to make a turn to the left to hurdle a lower saddle before bad weather finally caught up with them.

“Evidence retrieved from the crash site indicated that the engines were on normal operating conditions during the impact, indicating no engine malfunction,” he said.

Also recovered by PAF crash investigators were two engine instruments (a triple tachometer and torque indicator), the aircraft’s vertical speed indicator, horizontal situation indicator, fuel pressure indicator and airspeed indicator with a detached needle.

Also recovered was the helicopter’s Global Positioning System (GPS) device, whose stored data have yet to be analyzed by experts to get a clearer picture of what really happened in the fateful final minutes, Gammad said.

Gammad said all flight procedures related to the mission were followed prior to take-off.

The PAF is now awaiting the availability of GPS experts to complete the investigation, especially the retrieval of data from the GPS device.

It was earlier reported that Press Undersecretary Jose “Jocap” Capadocia, who was among the fatalities, sent a text message saying the weather in the area was bad.

The other fatalities were Brig. Gen. Carlos Clet, the President’s senior military aide; Palace appointments secretary Marilou Frostrom; Sacatani and Alegata, both of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing; Presidential Management Staff assistant director Perlita Bandayanon; Petty Officer Demilyn Reyno, Clet’s aide; and S/Sgt. Roe Gem Perez.

They were supposed to serve as Mrs. Arroyo’s advance party at the inspection of the Halsema Highway when they met the tragedy.

Clet was laid to rest with full military honors at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio yesterday. – With Rudy Santos