A Sokol helicopter of the Philippine Air Force. (InterAksyon.com/File photo)
The Philippine Air Force has grounded the remaining Polish-made Sokol helicopters in its fleet following the crash-landing of the same type of chopper in Puerto Princesa, Palawan last week, PAF spokesperson Col. Antonio Francisco said Tuesday.
The crash-landing of the helicopter in the middle of a rice field in Sitio Sabang, Barangay Cabayugan in Puerto Princesa on Tuesday (Nov. 8) last week resulted in injuries to four ranking police officers including Mimaropa police regional director Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor.
[Read related story: Police general, 3 others injured as PAF's Sokol chopper crash-lands in Puerto Princesa City]
The injured officers have been transferred to the PAF hospital for further medical treatment and observation, Francisco said.
The officers were on board the chopper conducting aerial inspection as part of preparations for the ASEAN Chiefs of Justice Conference on November 10 that was to be held in Puerto Princesa City when the chopper experienced engine failure.
“All the Sokol were grounded as of the moment a day after the incident. I was not given feedback yet about the ongoing probe,” Francisco said.
An investigation of the crash is still ongoing to determine the real cause of the accident.
As part of its modernization program, the Air Force had ordered eight brand-new W-3A Sokol helicopters from PZL Swidnik (Augusta Westland) company with a total contract price of P3.2 billion during the time of former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but these were only delivered during the time of former president Bengino Aquino III.
In 2014, one of the choppers crashed shortly after takeoff inside a military camp in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur. Then commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division and now Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Ricardo Visaya was among the survivors of that crash.
Before these incidents, one of the choppers lost its airlift power and stuck for several days at the helipad of the AFP General Headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Francisco said the grounding of the Sokols has little effect on the airlift capability of the PAF since they still have UH-1Hs and Sikorsky helicopters in service.
http://interaksyon.com/article/134351/paf-grounds-remaining-polish-made-sokol-choppers
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