Navy asks US help on missing pilots

From the Manila Standard Today (Jun 29): Navy asks US help on missing pilots

The Philippine Navy on Friday said it was considering to request the directors of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) of American and Filipino sailors in Subic, Zambales to send equipment and a team to Palawan to help in the ongoing search-and-retrieval (SAR) operations for the missing OV10 Bronco 630 with two pilots possibly trapped inside it after it crashed Sunday night approximately five nautical miles off Puerto Princesa City.

The CARAT has a SAR component.

The families of the missing pilots, Maj. Jonathan A. Ybanez and 1Lt. Abner Trust Nacion, are hoping their bodies would be retrieved.

“Actually, we’re exploring all possibilities including that option,” 1Lt. Cheryl Tindog, spokesperson of the Western Command, said in a phone interview.

She said the option had already been suggested by Commodore Joseph Rustom Pena, commander of the Naval Forces West (NAVFOR-West), to Westcom commander Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero.

Navy spokesman Lieutenant Commander Gregory Gerald Fabic said the idea is “great” and they will “suggest” the matter to higher-ups.

“I just don’t know if it will be considered considering the hectic schedules of the CARAT exercises. Such request needs planning also. Anyway, we’ve already a 6-man team of SEALS in the crash site and they are very capable to accomplish their mission,” Fabic said.

Since Sunday, the Navy was still figuring out how to get into the area where the Philippine Air Force craft crashed. PAF had hired a portable sonar from a Cebu-based private company to help in the search of the still missing two pilots and fuselage.

Meanwhile, Tindog said the 6-man SEALS from the Naval Operations Group are preparing to dive the 200-meter deeps where the planes’ fuselage possibly rested on the seabed.

The BRP Mangyan (AS71) skippered by Commander Carlo Lagasca said the ship would provide support for the technical divers.

Lagasca said they are hoping that the detected wreck on the seabed would be that of the fuselage.

“We have to move quick dahil baka biglang tumungo dito ‘yung Tropical Depression ‘Gorio’ dahil kung magkaganun ay siyempre we have to take shelter for safety and therefore the SAR operation would have to be postponed,” he said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/06/29/navy-asks-us-help-on-missing-pilots/