Student pilot killed in plane crash off La Union waters

MANILA, Philippines — A student pilot died Wednesday after a Tecnam P-2010 aircraft crashed in waters off Caba, La Union, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed. 

The PCG in an incident report said it "responded to a maritime incident involving an aircraft with tail number, RP-C8230 that crashed at the vicinity waters off Caba, La Union at around 11:30 a.m. today, 26 May 2021." 

The coast guard said police recovered the body of a 25-year-old student pilot, a resident of Paligui, Apalit, Pampanga, and rushed him to the Caba Municipal Health Office where he was declared dead by an attending physician.

"Deployed PCG personnel led by Commander Alois Morales of the PCG Station La Union assisted in retrieving debris of the aircraft which sunk at approximately 300 meters away from the shoreline," the statement reads. 

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that the student pilot from First Aviation Academy in Subic Bay International Airport was conducting a solo cross-country flight.

"According to the flight plan filed by the school, the flight originated from Iba Airport in the province of Zambales, en route to La Union Airport and Lingayen Airport, then back to Iba Airport," CAAP said.

The Philippine National Police is coordinating with Police Staff Sergeant Leo Montemayor of the Aviation Security Group to further investigate the aircraft involved in the maritime incident, PCG added. 

The coast guard said it continues to assist in conducting area security at the crash site where an investigation is still ongoing as of 3:30 p.m. 

— Bella Perez-Rubio with reports from Artemio Dumlao, Franco Luna