Rescuers Rescued

Navy chopper in search ops force-lands

By Florante S. Solmerin 





August 23, 2012

Engine trouble on Tuesday struck a Navy helicopter helping in the search for Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, forcing its two pilots to execute an emergency landing at the shoreline in Buenavista village in Donsol, Sorsogon, Navy spokesman Col. Omar Tonsay said.

Diving helicopter. Fishermen help Navy servicemen salvage a Bulco attack helicopter that crashed into the waters near the shoreline in Sta. Cruz, Donsol, Sorsogon, while searching for the wreckage of the plane carrying Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo. DANNY PATA

“It was a precautionary landing. The helicopter had some engine trouble,” Tonsay said.

The chopper was part of the aircraft deployed in the search for Robredo and Jessup Bahinting and Napalese Kshitz Chand, the pilots of the ill-fated  Seneca Piper plane that crashed on Saturday off Masbate.

“The two pilots and their passengers were unhurt,” Tonsay said.

“The chopper landed safely and remains intact. It was already inspected to determine the cause of the precautionary landing.”