Indian student pilot, Filipino trainer killed in small plane crash in the Philippines

An Indian student and his trainer pilot died after the wreckage of a small plane was recovered following a crash in the Philippines.

Manila: An Indian student pilot and his Filipino trainer were killed when their small plane crashed in the Philippines, authorities said on Wednesday. Two persons died when the two-seater Cessna plane crashed in Apayao province, the official Philippine News Agency reported. However, rescuers could not retrieve the bodies of Capt. Edzel John Lumbao Tabuzo and student pilot Anshum Rajkumar Konde from the crash site, it said.

The Echo Air Cessna 152 aircraft was reported missing on Tuesday afternoon after departing from Laoag International Airport at 12:16 pm, local media reported. It was to reach Tuguegarao Airport at 3:16 p.m. However, it failed to land. The wreckage of the plane was found in the province of Apayao on Wednesday afternoon.

Apayao Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Joeffrey Borromeo reported that the crash site is located at the border of Barangay Salvacion, Luna town and Barangay San Mariano in Pudtol town. A medical and rescue team on board a Black Hawk helicopter of the Philippine Air Force spotted the plane's wreckage and the cadavers of Tabuzo and Konde.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has suspended the operations of Echo Air International Aviation Academy, the operator of the aircraft, INQUIRER.net reported. The operations of the flying school will remain suspended until a probe into the plane crash is completed, the news portal reported. (PTI)