Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado is seen in file photo with former NEDA chief Jesus Estanislao after receiving a Performance Governance System award for the PAF. General Delgado has not grounded the five other UH-1Ds of the command after Saturday's crash of one chopper in Sarangani, wounding nine people. An air-crash investigation has begun.
Military officials have begun probing Saturday's crash of one of six helicopters acquired in a controversy-laden deal. Initially, however, they said there were strong indications it was caused by "environmental" factors, specifically, strong winds, and there was no order yet to ground the rest of the fleet.
Besides the environmental factor, two other possibilities are being eyed by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) air-crash investigators: human (pilot) error, or materiel (mechanical) problems.
Military officials tried to explain the crash of one of the second-hand UH-1Ds from an American contractor.
Colonel Restituto Padilla, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said Sunday the military top brass is grateful not one of the nine passengers onboard, including the pilots, was killed in the crash that occurred around 9:40 a.m. Saturday in Sitio Lamsalo, Barangay Upper Suyan, Malapatan Sarangani.
The UH-1D chopper bearing nine soldiers including the pilots and crew was evacuating casualties from a bomb attack by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
All personnel aboard were injured.
The local military said the crash was caused by “strong winds.”
Despite the crash, PAF spokesman Colonel Enrico Canaya said Air Force chief Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado has not yet given any order to ground the remaining UH-1D choppers.“It could happen to any aircraft,” he said.
Asked if the PAF still considers the UH-1d choppers reliable, Canaya said yes.
Padilla, meanwhile, said they will wait for the investigation report.
A few months ago, the Senate investigated the chopper purchase after whistleblower Rhodora Alvarez linked Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Undersecretary Fernando Manolo, Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez, among others, to alleged anomalies in the P1.2-billion project bagged by Rice Aircraft Services, Inc. after at least three failed biddings involving the latter.
Alvarez claimed in her affidavit that up to 15% in kickbacks were given to some officials of the DND and AFP.
Meanwhile, Padilla, an airman himself, said investigators were zeroing in on these factors: human (pilot) error, materiel (mechanical) and environment.
Padilla believed the crash was caused by “environment,” based on initial investigation.
He quoted the pilot's narration that "the chopper tilted, so, malakas ang hangin, “parang bumulusok siya [the wind was strong, it surged].”
He ruled out allegations that the choppers were unreliable.
“That’s unfair. That’s highly (speculative) because we still don't know the cause of the accident and, fortunately, everyone on board survived, so they are all eyewitnesses. Based on our initial talk with the pilot, it doesn't seem to be a materiel (mechanical) problem, it seems more environmental (wind)," Padilla said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/119910/afp-probes-crash-of-controversial-chopper-but-rest-of-uh-1d-fleet-wont-be-grounded
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