Bahinting's licenses valid - CAAP report

CEBU, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Thursday belied reports that the Piper Seneca plane that crashed in the waters off Masbate was not cleared for chartered flight and that the pilot’s licenses were expired.

 CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III said that based on CAAP’s Civil Aviation Safety Oversight Reporting and Tracking System (CASORT) database, the plane boarded by the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo that was piloted by Capt. Jessup Bahinting has an air taxi license valid until Nov. 14, 2012.

He added that CASORT data shows that Bahinting’s flight instructor and commercial pilot licenses which were both issued on Apr.30, 2012 and are valid until March 2013, and with rating to fly airplane with single and multiple engine.

 “It was inopportune that some personnel in CAAP not cleared administratively to issue official statements are circulating pure and baseless speculations,” Hotchkiss said.

 He said that the CAAP employee disseminating false report is now the subject of an administrative action.

 Based on CASORT’s records, the Aviatour Air Flying School’s license to operate expired on Aug. 29, 2012, or two weeks before the plane incident.

 Hotchkiss said the right engine of the plane will be transferred to Manila from the Masbate airport over the weekend where it will be examined by CAAP’s five -man Special Investigation Committee piece-by-piece.

 “We are committed to conduct a thorough, comprehensive and impartial investigation of the plane incident. We intend to provide accurate, validated information on the progress of the inspection based on the committee’s findings,” Hotchkiss said.

 “We appeal not to make a circus out of this incident and muddle the investigation with baseless and unwarranted speculations. This will not help CAAP’s impartial and transparent investigation process,” Hotchkiss added.

CAAP has given it one month to come up with initial findings in the investigation. — Philippine Star News Service / Ria Mae Y. Booc/MBG - THE FREEMAN