Flight helmet of missing pilot found -- Western Command

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 6 ): Flight helmet of missing pilot found -- Western Command

The Western Command on Saturday announced that a flight helmet belonging to the one of the two missing pilots was found by a fisherman two nautical miles off Sombrero Island, Palawan.

1st Lt. Cheryl Tindog, Western Command spokesperson, said the helmet was found by 32-year-old Ludivir P. Nunez early this week.

"He found the helmet floating more or less two nautical miles off Sombrero Island. The said helmet was recovered and confirmed to be the helmet of one of the pilots. It is now with the investigating team," she added.

Tindog also said that Task Force "Bronco" will continue search missions in the vicinity of Rasa Island Saturday.

Tindog added they are requesting the return of the Shell Philippines vessel, Lara-5, which is equipped with a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) to help in the ongoing search.

The ship and its ROV arrived off the suspected crash site some five nautical miles away from the Puerto Princesa airport last July 4 and immediately conducted a search which located nothing.

It was forced to left on the night of July 5 to perform a company mission off Malampaya.

"We are requesting for their return," Tindog said.

Earlier, Coast Guard Palawan commander Commodore Enrico Evangelista said the ROV will be used to determine if an object earlier detected by sonar equipment off Palawan was the wreckage of the OV-10.

Authorities are still hoping that Major Jonathan Ybanez and 1st Lt. Abner Trust Nacion might have survived the crash.

The two were on a night proficiency flight when their aircraft crashed last June 23.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=541576