Still no sign of missing pilots, downed OV-10 after 19 days

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12): Still no sign of missing pilots, downed OV-10 after 19 days
 
Despite 19 days of intense search for the missing pilots and the downed OV-10 "Bronco" attack plane, the Western Command on Friday announced that it has yet to make a positive sighting of missing crewmen and the crashed plane.

"Results are still negative," Western Command spokesperson 1st Lt. Cheryl Tindog said.

Despite this, search efforts will continue until the two pilots and the downed aircraft are found, she added.

Authorities have remained hopeful 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 during the night of June 23.

Last July 6, a fisherman identified as 32-year-old Ludivir P. Nunez reported recovering a flight helmet off Sombrero Island last 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," the Western Command spokesperson added.

Tindog earlier said that 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 but located nothing.

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

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=543540