Airman killed in fall from chopper

It was a case of a rescue training gone wrong as an enlisted man from the Philippine Air Force fell 50 feet to his death the other day inside the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City when the rope suspended from a helicopter for a rappelling training snapped.

The fatality was identified as S/Sgt. Joseph Mallorca Achas, a resident of Greenfield Village in barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City. He was a member of the 505 2nd Search and Rescue unit of the PAF. Lt. Eures Montejo, spokesperson of the MBEAB, said that Achas, who is a master jumper, was training with two other rescuers when the accident happened.

Lt. Montejo said that Capt. Ramon Dioso, the pilot, was conducting an operational check on the helicopter while the heli-rappel proficiency training was simultaneously conducted.

Montejo added that even though the rope was new, when the helicopter suddenly swayed due to a strong wind, the rope stretched beyond its tensile capacity and snapped with Achas hanging to it. Montejo said that based on the accident report, the sudden down wash of the aircraft might have caused the rope to be stretched beyond its tensile strength plus the momentum and weight of the person rappelling caused it to break.

Montejo explained that all the equipment used for the training including the rope were checked by the crew before they started the training exercise at around 3 pm.

Achas landed on his back and suffered severe injuries on the different parts of his body. They rushed him to the Benito Ebuen General Hospital, but expired a few minutes later.

In the autopsy conducted at the Rolling Hills Memorial Chapel along A.S Fortuna St., Banilad, Mandaue City, it was found that Achas suffered injuries on his neck, abdomen and chest.

Air Force spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said that an investigation would be conducted on the incident.

The 505 2nd SAR is the leading rescue unit here in the Visayas. The unit is always the one tasked to respond when tragedies or calamities hit the region.

Achas has been in the PAF for 13 years and was already a rescue instructor. His family, in a television interview, said that they have accepted that it was an accident and would not press charges against the PAF.