Sabotage in light plane's crash-landing?

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – The pilot of a 14-seater light plane that crash-landed in the Cagayan River Monday said he received a text message about a threat to sabotage the flight moments before they took off from Batanes.

Capt. Agustin Josel revealed this in a radio interview even as the Air Transportation Office has yet to investigate the cause of the crash.

Queen Air RPM 1111, owned by Air Goruz, made a crash-landing in the Cagayan River in Barangay San Isidro, Iguig town at around 2 p.m. Monday.

It was supposed to land at the Tuguegarao City airport, some 10 kilometers from the crash site.

Besides the pilot and co-pilot, the plane carried 11 passengers, mostly delegates to the five-day Regional Boy Scouts’ Jamboree starting today in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.

Miraculously, no one was hurt, as the passengers exited through the door just above the plane’s wing, Josel said.

The passengers climbed up the fuselage and shouted for help as the plane slowly sank.

Local fishermen wasted no time in coming to their rescue and brought them to the nearby residence of Iguig Vice Mayor Ferdinand Trinidad, Josel said.