The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Sunday said that the search and rescue operation for the missing Cessna plane in Bicol has resumed after the weather cleared, with aerial and ground forces being utilized.

But the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office said that they will be targeting the foot of Mayon Volcano as one of the possible crash landing sites of the plane.

Cedric Daep, chief of the APSEMO said that the missing Cessna plane may have gone down in Barangay Quirangay in Camalig which is located at the foot of Mayon Volcano.

This was confirmed by CAAP.

“Tuloy-tuloy naman po ang paghahanap. Early morning today ‘yung team especially ng Camalig, Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office ay nandoon na para hanapin malapit sa search area,” Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolonio said in an interview over radio station dzBB.

(The search and rescue operations are continuing. Early morning today, the team especially from Camalig, Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office are already in the area to conduct the search.)

Earlier reports said that on Saturday, air traffic controller at the Bicol airport lost contact with the Cessna 340 plane.

The aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 departed Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m. They were able to make their last contact with the aircraft at 6:46 a.m., when the plane was in the vicinity of Camalig at an altitude of 2,600 feet.

It was supposed to arrive in Manila at 7:53 a.m., carrying four people, including the pilot, crew, and two passengers.

The Philippine Air Force deployed air assets for the search and rescue operations.

“Ang problema lang natin ay weather, ‘yung weather factor. ‘Pag madilim, maulap, umuulan, hindi talaga makakalipad ang mga chopper,” Apolonio said.

(The problem is the weather, the weather factor. When the skies are dark, cloudy, or it is rainy, the choppers cannot fly)

The identities of the passengers and crew cannot be revealed at this time while search and rescue operations are ongoing.

CurrentPH News Service